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Zhao C, Guo Q, Zhang T, Han X, Usman D. Procedures from samples to sulfur isotopic data: A review. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2024; 38:e9733. [PMID: 38591181 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Sulfur isotopes have been widely used to solve some key scientific questions, especially in the last two decades with advanced instruments and analytical schemes. Different sulfur speciation and multiple isotopes analyzed in laboratories worldwide and in situ microanalysis have also been reported in many articles. However, methods of sampling to measurements are multifarious, and occasionally some inaccuracies are present in published papers. Vague methods may mislead newcomers to the field, puzzle readers, or lead to incorrect data-based correlations. METHODS We have reviewed multiple methods on sulfur isotopic analyses from the perspectives of sampling, laboratory work, and instrumental analysis in order to help reduce operational inhomogeneity and ensure the fidelity of sulfur isotopic data. We do not deem our proposed solutions as the ultimate standard methods but as a lead-in to the overall introduction and summary of the current methods used. RESULTS It has been shown that external contamination and transformation of different sulfur species should be avoided during the sampling, pretreatment, storage, and chemical treatment processes. Conversion rates and sulfur isotopic fractionations during sulfur extraction, purification, and conversion processes must be verified by researchers using standard or known samples. The unification of absence of isotopic fractionation is needed during all steps, and long-term monitoring of standard samples is recommended. CONCLUSION This review compiles more details on different methods in sampling, laboratory operation, and measurement of sulfur isotopes, which is beneficial for researchers' better practice in laboratories. Microanalyses and molecular studies are the frontier techniques that compare the bulk sample with the elemental analysis/continuous flow-gas source stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry method, but the latter is widely used. The development of sulfur isotopic measurements will lead to the innovation in scientific issues with sulfur proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changqiu Zhao
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingjun Guo
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tonggang Zhang
- College of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaokun Han
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Dawuda Usman
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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2
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Horst A, Gehre M, Fahle M, Kümmel S. Continuous-Flow Stable Sulfur Isotope Analysis of Organic and Inorganic Compounds by EA-MC-ICPMS. Anal Chem 2024; 96:8510-8517. [PMID: 38738665 PMCID: PMC11140681 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c00439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Elemental analysis (EA) coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) is a well-established method to derive stable isotope ratios of sulfur (34S/32S). Conversion of sulfur to SO2 by EA and measurement of SO2 isotopologues by IRMS represents the simplest and most versatile method to accomplish isotope measurement of sulfur even in bulk samples. Yet, interferences by oxygen isotopes in SO2 often impair the precision and trueness of measured results. In the current study, we coupled EA to multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) to establish a method that avoids such interferences due to direct measurement of S+ ions. In addition, measurement of the 33S/32S isotope ratios is possible, thus representing the first bulk method that is suitable to study mass-independent isotope fractionation (MIF). Analytical precision (σ) of available Ag2S and BaSO4 reference materials (RMs) was, on average, 0.2 mUr for δ33S and δ34S, never exceeding 0.3 mUr within this study (1 mUr = 1‰ = 0.001). Measured δ34S values of reference materials agreed within ±0.2 mUr of officially reported values. Measurement of wood samples yielded good precision (0.2 mUr) for sulfur amounts as low as 3.5 μg, but precision deteriorated for samples at lower sulfur contents due to poor peak shape. Finally, we explored cross-calibration of organic liquids separated via gas chromatography (GC) against solid RMs combusted via EA that avoids challenging offline conversion of RMs. Results indicate good precision (≤0.08 mUr) and acceptable trueness (≤0.34 mUr) for determination of δ34S, demonstrating the future potential of such an approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Horst
- Department
Technical Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre
for Environmental Research−UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Research
and Development Centre for Post-Mining Areas, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Gaglower Str. 17-18, 03048 Cottbus, Germany
| | - Matthias Gehre
- Department
Technical Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre
for Environmental Research−UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marcus Fahle
- Research
and Development Centre for Post-Mining Areas, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Gaglower Str. 17-18, 03048 Cottbus, Germany
| | - Steffen Kümmel
- Department
Technical Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre
for Environmental Research−UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
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3
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Macdonald JE, Sugden P, Dumont M, Szilas K, Glorie S, Simpson A, Gilbert S, Burke A, Stüeken EE. Evaluating the multiple sulfur isotope signature of Eoarchean rocks from the Isua Supracrustal Belt (Southwest-Greenland) by MC-ICP-MS: Volcanic nutrient sources for early life. GEOBIOLOGY 2024; 22:e12595. [PMID: 38596869 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
On the anoxic Archean Earth, prior to the onset of oxidative weathering, electron acceptors were relatively scarce, perhaps limiting microbial productivity. An important metabolite may have been sulfate produced during the photolysis of volcanogenic SO2 gas. Multiple sulfur isotope data can be used to track this sulfur source, and indeed this record indicates SO2 photolysis dating back to at least 3.7 Ga, that is, as far back as proposed evidence of life on Earth. However, measurements of multiple sulfur isotopes in some key strata from that time can be challenging due to low sulfur concentrations. Some studies have overcome this challenge with NanoSIMS or optimized gas-source mass spectrometry techniques, but those instruments are not readily accessible. Here, we applied an aqua regia leaching protocol to extract small amounts of sulfur from whole rocks for analyses of multiple sulfur isotopes by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). Measurements of standards and replicates demonstrate good precision and accuracy. We applied this technique to meta-sedimentary rocks with putative biosignatures from the Eoarchean Isua Supracrustal Belt (ISB, >3.7 Ga) and found positive ∆33S (1.40-1.80‰) in four meta-turbidites and negative ∆33S (-0.80‰ and -0.66‰) in two meta-carbonates. Two meta-basalts do not display significant mass-independent fractionation (MIF, -0.01‰ and 0.16‰). In situ Re-Os dating on a molybdenite vein hosted in the meta-turbidites identifies an early ca. 3.7 Ga hydrothermal phase, and in situ Rb-Sr dating of micas in the meta-carbonates suggests metamorphism affected the rocks at ca. 2.2 and 1.7 Ga. We discuss alteration mechanisms and conclude that there is most likely a primary MIF-bearing phase in these meta-sediments. Our new method is therefore a useful addition to the geochemical toolbox, and it confirms that organisms at that time, if present, may indeed have been fed by volcanic nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Macdonald
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Patrick Sugden
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Matthew Dumont
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Kristoffer Szilas
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Stijn Glorie
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Sarah Gilbert
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Andrea Burke
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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4
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Li M, Xu Y, Sun L, Chen J, Zhang K, Li D, Farquhar J, Zhang X, Sun R, Macdonald FA, Grasby SE, Fu Y, Shen Y. Deglacial volcanism and reoxygenation in the aftermath of the Sturtian Snowball Earth. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh9502. [PMID: 37672591 PMCID: PMC10482342 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The Cryogenian Sturtian and Marinoan Snowball Earth glaciations bracket a nonglacial interval during which Demosponge and green-algal biomarkers first appear. To understand the relationships between environmental perturbations and early animal evolution, we measured sulfur and mercury isotopes from the Datangpo Formation from South China. Hg enrichment with positive Δ199Hg excursion suggests enhanced volcanism, potentially due to depressurization of terrestrial magma chambers during deglaciation. A thick stratigraphic interval of negative Δ33Spy indicates that the nonglacial interlude was characterized by low but rising sulfate levels. Model results reveal a mechanism to produce the Δ33S anomalies down to -0.284‰ through Rayleigh distillation. We propose that extreme temperatures and anoxia contributed to the apparent delay in green algal production in the aftermath of the Sturtian glaciation and the subsequent reoxygenation of the iron-rich and sulfate-depleted ocean paved the way for evolution of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghan Li
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yilun Xu
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Lilin Sun
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jiubin Chen
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Dandan Li
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - James Farquhar
- Department of Geology and ESSIC, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Xiaolin Zhang
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Ruoyu Sun
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Francis A. Macdonald
- Department of Earth Science, University of California–Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Stephen E. Grasby
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada
| | - Yong Fu
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550012, China
| | - Yanan Shen
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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Reconciling discrepant minor sulfur isotope records of the Great Oxidation Event. Nat Commun 2023; 14:279. [PMID: 36650167 PMCID: PMC9845385 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35820-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the timing and trajectory of atmospheric oxygenation remains fundamental to deciphering its causes and consequences. Given its origin in oxygen-free photochemistry, mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation (S-MIF) is widely accepted as a geochemical fingerprint of an anoxic atmosphere. Nevertheless, S-MIF recycling through oxidative sulfide weathering-commonly termed the crustal memory effect (CME)-potentially decouples the multiple sulfur isotope (MSI) record from coeval atmospheric chemistry. Herein, however, after accounting for unrecognised temporal and spatial biases within the Archaean-early-Palaeoproterozoic MSI record, we demonstrate that the global expression of the CME is barely resolvable; thereby validating S-MIF as a tracer of contemporaneous atmospheric chemistry during Earth's incipient oxygenation. Next, utilising statistical approaches, supported by new MSI data, we show that the reconciliation of adjacent, yet seemingly discrepant, South African MSI records requires that the rare instances of post-2.3-billion-year-old S-MIF are stratigraphically restricted. Accepting others' primary photochemical interpretation, our approach demands that these implied atmospheric dynamics were ephemeral, operating on sub-hundred-thousand-year timescales. Importantly, these apparent atmospheric relapses were fundamentally different from older putative oxygenation episodes, implicating an intermediate, and potentially uniquely feedback-sensitive, Earth system state in the wake of the Great Oxidation Event.
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Yu X, Yin B, Lin M. Removal of contamination in helium for precise SF 6 -based Δ 36 S measurements. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2022; 36:e9404. [PMID: 36166321 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Quantifications of quadruple sulfur isotopic compositions (δ34 S, Δ33 S, and Δ36 S) of sulfur-bearing compounds in nature are valuable for providing new insights into the Earth's evolution such as the crust-mantle cycle, oxygenation of atmosphere and oceans, and the origin and evolution of early life. SF6 -based isotope ratio mass spectrometry is the most widely used method of quantification, but Δ36 S measurements at high precision and accuracy have always been technically difficult due to the low abundance of 36 S (~0.01%). In this paper, we identify a major source of isobaric interferences (i.e., contamination in helium carrier gas in the gas chromatography purification step) and propose a simple strategy to solve this problem. METHODS An SF6 fluorination and purification system was built. Laboratory SF6 reference gas and international Ag2 S standard (IAEA-S1) were used as reference materials to test our method. Contamination from helium carrier gas (99.999%) was purified by a simple two-step cryogenic method to allow for accurate and precise measurements of Δ36 S using the SF6 -based isotope ratio mass spectrometry method. RESULTS Without proper purification of helium carrier gas, large errors in Δ36 S measurements were found. Measured Δ36 S values of SF6 with trace contamination from helium were >10‰ higher than expected values. Using a newly developed purification strategy, the difference in Δ36 S values of SF6 before and after passing through the gas chromatography is less than instrumental errors (<0.2‰). Our improved method yielded an overall Δ36 S precision for IAEA-S1 of 0.12‰ (n = 6). This precision is comparable to that found by other laboratories around the world. CONCLUSION Our simple two-step cryogenic method significantly improved the accuracy and precision of Δ36 S measurements and is therefore recommended for future determination of quadruple sulfur isotopic compositions in natural samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry and CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Binyan Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry and CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry and CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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7
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Dasari S, Paris G, Charreau J, Savarino J. Sulfur-isotope anomalies recorded in Antarctic ice cores as a potential proxy for tracing past ozone layer depletion events. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac170. [PMID: 36714879 PMCID: PMC9802080 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the cosmic-ray background of the Earth can impact the ozone layer. High-energy cosmic events [e.g. supernova (SN)] or rapid changes in the Earth's magnetic field [e.g. geomagnetic Excursion (GE)] can lead to a cascade of cosmic rays. Ensuing chemical reactions can then cause thinning/destruction of the ozone layer-leading to enhanced penetration of harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation toward the Earth's surface. However, observational evidence for such UV "windows" is still lacking. Here, we conduct a pilot study and investigate this notion during two well-known events: the multiple SN event (≈10 kBP) and the Laschamp GE event (≈41 kBP). We hypothesize that ice-core-Δ33S records-originally used as volcanic fingerprints-can reveal UV-induced background-tropospheric-photochemical imprints during such events. Indeed, we find nonvolcanic S-isotopic anomalies (Δ33S ≠ 0‰) in background Antarctic ice-core sulfate during GE/SN periods, thereby confirming our hypothesis. This suggests that ice-core-Δ33S records can serve as a proxy for past ozone-layer-depletion events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guillaume Paris
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 54000 Nancy, France
| | - Julien Charreau
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 54000 Nancy, France
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8
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Phillips AA, Wu F, Sessions AL. Sulfur isotope analysis of cysteine and methionine via preparatory liquid chromatography and elemental analyzer isotope ratio mass spectrometry. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2021; 35:e9007. [PMID: 33201559 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Sulfur isotope analysis of organic sulfur-containing molecules has previously been hindered by challenging preparatory chemistry and analytical requirements for large sample sizes. The natural-abundance sulfur isotopic compositions of the sulfur-containing amino acids, cysteine and methionine, have therefore not yet been investigated despite potential utility in biomedicine, ecology, oceanography, biogeochemistry, and other fields. METHODS Cysteine and methionine were subjected to hot acid hydrolysis followed by quantitative oxidation in performic acid to yield cysteic acid and methionine sulfone. These stable, oxidized products were then separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and verified via offline liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The sulfur isotope ratios (δ34 S values) of purified analytes were then measured via combustion elemental analyzer coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA/IRMS). The EA was equipped with a temperature-ramped chromatographic column and programmable helium carrier flow rates. RESULTS On-column focusing of SO2 in the EA/IRMS system, combined with reduced He carrier flow during elution, greatly improved sensitivity, allowing precise (0.1-0.3‰ 1 s.d.) δ34 S measurements of 1 to 10 μg sulfur. We validated that our method for purification of cysteine and methionine was negligibly fractionating using amino acid and protein standards. Proof-of-concept measurements of fish muscle tissue and bacteria demonstrated differences up to 4‰ between the δ34 S values of cysteine and methionine that can be connected to biosynthetic pathways. CONCLUSIONS We have developed a sensitive, precise method for measuring the natural-abundance sulfur isotopic compositions of cysteine and methionine isolated from biological samples. This capability opens up diverse applications of sulfur isotopes in amino acids and proteins, from use as a tracer in organisms and the environment, to fundamental aspects of metabolism and biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A Phillips
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Fenfang Wu
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Alex L Sessions
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
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Kümmel S, Horst A, Gelman F, Strauss H, Richnow HH, Gehre M. Simultaneous Compound-Specific Analysis of δ 33S and δ 34S in Organic Compounds by GC-MC-ICPMS Using Medium- and Low-Mass-Resolution Modes. Anal Chem 2020; 92:14685-14692. [PMID: 33095571 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Compound-specific isotope analysis of sulfur (δ34S-CSIA) in organic compounds was established in the last decade employing gas chromatography connected to multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-MC-ICPMS). However, δ33S-CSIA has not yet been reported so far. In this study, we present a method for the simultaneous determination of δ33S and δ34S in organic compounds by GC-MC-ICPMS applying medium- and also low-mass-resolution modes. The method was validated using the international isotope reference materials IAEA-S-1, IAEA-S-2, and IAEA-S-3. Overall analytical uncertainty including normalization and reproducibility for δ33S and δ34S was usually better than ±0.2 mUr (σ) for analytes containing at least 100 pmol of S. Further, it is demonstrated that, despite small isobaric interferences, results obtained at low mass resolution are indistinguishable from medium mass resolution offering the benefit of increased sensitivity and versatility of this method. Additionally, the method was applied for the δ33S and δ34S isotope analysis of industrially produced organic compounds to investigate potential mass-independent fractionation (MIF). The relation between δ34S and δ33S in these compounds followed a mass-dependent fractionation trend (MDF; Δ33S ≤ ±0.2 mUr). Degradation of dimethyl disulfide by direct photolysis caused a small but significant MIF (Δ33S = 0.55 ± 0.04 mUr, n = 3), demonstrating sufficient sensitivity of the method for these types of studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Kümmel
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Axel Horst
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Faina Gelman
- Geological Survey of Israel, 32 Yesha'ayahu Leibowitz Street, Jerusalem 9692100, Israel
| | - Harald Strauss
- Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 24, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Hans H Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Gehre
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
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10
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Large mass-independent sulphur isotope anomalies link stratospheric volcanism to the Late Ordovician mass extinction. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2297. [PMID: 32385286 PMCID: PMC7210970 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16228-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Volcanic eruptions are thought to be a key driver of rapid climate perturbations over geological time, such as global cooling, global warming, and changes in ocean chemistry. However, identification of stratospheric volcanic eruptions in the geological record and their causal link to the mass extinction events during the past 540 million years remains challenging. Here we report unexpected, large mass-independent sulphur isotopic compositions of pyrite with Δ33S of up to 0.91‰ in Late Ordovician sedimentary rocks from South China. The magnitude of the Δ33S is similar to that discovered in ice core sulphate originating from stratospheric volcanism. The coincidence between the large Δ33S and the first pulse of the Late Ordovician mass extinction about 445 million years ago suggests that stratospheric volcanic eruptions may have contributed to synergetic environmental deteriorations such as prolonged climatic perturbations and oceanic anoxia, related to the mass extinction. Identification of stratospheric volcanic eruptions in the geological record and their link to mass extinction events during the past 540 million years remains challenging. Here, the authors report unexpected, large mass-independent sulphur isotopic compositions of pyrite in Late Ordovician sedimentary rocks, which they suggest originates from stratospheric volcanism linked to the first pulse of the Late Ordovician mass extinction.
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11
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Buchachenko AL, Bukhvostov AA, Ermakov KV, Kuznetsov DA. A specific role of magnetic isotopes in biological and ecological systems. Physics and biophysics beyond. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 155:1-19. [PMID: 32224188 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The great diversity of molecular processes in chemistry, physics, and biology exhibits universal property: they are controlled by powerful factor, angular momentum. Conservation of angular momentum (electron spin) is a fundamental and universal principle: all molecular processes are spin selective, they are allowed only for those spin states of reactants whose total spin is identical to that of products. Magnetic catalysis induced by magnetic interactions is a powerful and universal means to overcome spin prohibition and to control physical, chemical and biochemical processes. Contributing almost nothing in total energy, being negligibly small, magnetic interactions are the only ones which are able to change electron spin of reactants and switch over the processes between spin-allowed and spin-forbidden channels, controlling pathways and chemical reactivity in molecular processes. The main source of magnetic and electromagnetic effects in biological systems is now generally accepted and demonstrated in this paper to be radical pair mechanism which implies pairwise generation of radicals in biochemical reactions. This mechanism was convincingly established for enzymatic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and desoxynucleic acid (DNA) synthesis by using catalyzing metal ions with magnetic nuclei (25Mg, 43Ca, 67Zn) and supported by magnetic field effects on these reactions. The mechanism, is shown to function in medicine as a medical remedy or technology (trans-cranial magnetic stimulation, nuclear magnetic control of the ATP synthesis in heart muscle, the killing of cancer cells by suppression of DNA synthesis). However, the majority of magnetic effects in biology remain to be irreproducible, contradictory, and enigmatic. Three sources of such a state are shown in this paper to be: the presence of paramagnetic metal ions as a component of enzymatic site or as an impurity in an uncontrollable amount; the property of the radical pair mechanism to function at a rather high concentration of catalyzing metal ions, when at least two ions enter into the catalytic site; and the kinetic restrictions, which imply compatibility of chemical and spin dynamics in radical pair. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the reliable sources of magnetic effects, to elucidate the reasons of their inconsistency, to show how and at what conditions magnetic effects exhibit themselves and how they may be controlled, switched on and off, taking into account not only biological and madical but some geophysical and environmental aspects as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoly L Buchachenko
- Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation; Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142432, Chernogolovka, Russian Federation; Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142432, Chernogolovka, Russian Federation; Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | | | - Kirill V Ermakov
- Russian National Research Medical University, 119997, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Dmitry A Kuznetsov
- Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation; Russian National Research Medical University, 119997, Moscow, Russian Federation.
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Velivetskaya TA, Ignatiev AV, Yakovenko VV, Vysotskiy SV. An improved femtosecond laser-ablation fluorination method for measurements of sulfur isotopic anomalies (∆ 33 S and ∆ 36 S) in sulfides with high precision. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2019; 33:1722-1729. [PMID: 31304642 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Measurements of the multiple sulfur isotopic composition (δ34 S, δ33 S and δ36 S values) of ancient sedimentary sulfide are useful for clarifying and reconstructing the picture of the global sulfur cycle on the early Earth. The methods used for these measurements should provide a high level of precision for the determination of sulfur isotope mass-independent anomalies (∆33 S and ∆36 S values). Here we propose some improvements to the earlier published femtosecond laser-ablation fluorination method to make it suitable for measuring both ∆33 S and ∆36 S values in the Archean sedimentary sulfides with acceptable precision. METHODS A new gas purification system for the laser-ablation fluorination method has been developed. The design of this system is based on temperature-controlled flow traps for cryogenic separation of SF6 gas from other fluorinated products produced by fluorination of sulfide minerals. Compared with the previous version of the purification system, the efficiency of SF6 purification was significantly improved, which in turn improved the precision of the method for in situ GC/IRMS measurements of 36 S/32 S ratios (and determination of ∆36 S values). RESULTS The improved method was tested using IAEA reference materials, as well as samples of natural pyrite with zero and non-zero sulfur isotope anomalies. For samples of ~12-13 nmol SF6 (optimal size), the overall precision of the method is ±0.03‰ for ∆33 S values and ±0.27‰ for ∆36 S values. This level of precision is satisfactory to examine the sulfur isotope anomalies in the rock. CONCLUSIONS The improved femtosecond laser-ablation fluorination method is applicable for in situ measurements of δ34 S, ∆33 S and ∆36 S values in sulfide minerals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Velivetskaya
- Far East Geological Institute, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 100-letya Vladivostoku 159, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Alexander V Ignatiev
- Far East Geological Institute, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 100-letya Vladivostoku 159, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Victoria V Yakovenko
- Far East Geological Institute, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 100-letya Vladivostoku 159, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Sergey V Vysotskiy
- Far East Geological Institute, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 100-letya Vladivostoku 159, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
- Engineering School, Far Eastern Federal University, 8, Sukhanova Str., Vladivostok, 690950, Russia
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Tatzel M, Vogl J, Rosner M, Henehan MJ, Tütken T. Triple Isotope Fractionation Exponents of Elements Measured by MC-ICP-MS-An Example of Mg. Anal Chem 2019; 91:14314-14322. [PMID: 31588732 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b02699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
In most chemical reactions, stable isotopes are fractionated in a mass-dependent manner, yielding correlated isotope ratios in elements with three or more stable isotopes. The proportionality between isotope ratios is set by the triple isotope fractionation exponent θ that can be determined precisely for, e.g., sulfur and oxygen by IRMS, but not for metal(loid) elements due to the lower precision of MC-ICP-MS analysis and smaller isotopic variations. Here, using Mg as a test case, we compute a complete metrologically robust uncertainty budget for apparent θ values and, with reference to this, present a new measurement approach that reduces uncertainty on θ values by 30%. This approach, namely, direct educt-product bracketing (sample-sample bracketing), allows apparent θ values of metal(loid) isotopes to be determined precisely enough to distinguish slopes in three-isotope space. For the example of Mg, we assess appropriate quality control standards for interference-to-signal ratios and report apparent θ values of carbonate-seawater pairs. We determined apparent θ values for marine biogenic carbonates, where the foraminifera Globorotalia menardii yields 0.514 ± 0.005 (2 SD), the coral Porites, 0.515 ± 0.006 (2 SD), and two specimens of the giant clam Tridacna gigas, 0.508 ± 0.007 (2 SD) and 0.509 ± 0.006 (2 SD), documenting differences in the uptake pathway of Mg among marine calcifiers. The capability to measure apparent θ values more precisely adds a new dimension to metal(loid) δ values, with the potential to allow us to resolve different modes of fractionation in industrial and natural processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tatzel
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) , Richard-Willstätter Str. 11 , 12489 Berlin , Germany
| | - Jochen Vogl
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) , Richard-Willstätter Str. 11 , 12489 Berlin , Germany
| | | | - Michael J Henehan
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences , 14473 Potsdam , Germany
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Institute of Geosciences, Applied and Analytical Palaeontology , University of Mainz , 55128 Mainz , Germany
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Stable Isotope (S, Mg, B) Constraints on the Origin of the Early Precambrian Zhaoanzhuang Serpentine-Magnetite Deposit, Southern North China Craton. MINERALS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/min9060377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The origin of the Zhaoanzhuang serpentine-magnetite deposit in the southern North China Craton (NCC) is highly disputed, with some investigators having proposed an ultramafic origin, whereas others favor a chemical sedimentary origin. These discrepancies are largely due to the difficulty in determining the protolithic characteristics of the highly metamorphosed rocks. Sulfur, magnesium, and boron isotope geochemistry combined with detailed petrography was carried out in this study to constrain the original composition of the Zhaoanzhuang iron orebodies. Anhydrite is present as coarse crystals intergrown with magnetite, indicating that the anhydrite formed simultaneously with the magnetite during metamorphism rather than as a product of later hydrothermal alteration. The anhydrite has a narrow range of positive δ34S values from +19.8 to +22.5‰ with a mean value of +21.1‰. These values are significantly higher than that of typical magmatic sulfur (δ34S = 0 ± 5‰) and deviate away from primary igneous anhydrite towards mantle-sulfur isotopic values, but they are similar to those of marine evaporitic anhydrite and gypsum (~+21‰). The sulfur isotopic compositions of several samples show obvious signs of mass-independent sulfur fractionation (Δ33S = −0.47‰ to +0.90‰), suggesting that they were influenced by an external sulfur source through a photochemical reaction at low oxygen concentrations, which is consistent with the Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic atmosphere. Coarse-grained tourmaline from the tourmaline-rich interlayers of the orebodies occurs closely with Mg-rich minerals such as phlogopite, talc, and diopside, indicating that it has a metamorphic origin. The δ11B values of the tourmaline range from −0.2‰ to +3.6‰ with a mean value of +2.0‰, which is much positive relative to that of magmatic tourmaline but is consistent with that of carbonate-derived tourmaline. The magnesium isotopic analyses of the serpentine–magnetite ores and the magnesium-rich wall rocks revealed a wide range of very negative δ26Mg values from −1.20‰ to −0.34‰ with an average value of −0.80‰. The value is higher than that of ultramafic rocks (δ26Mg = −0.25‰) and exhibits minor Mg isotopic fractionation. However, these values are consistent with those of marine carbonate rocks, which have lower δ26Mg values and larger Mg isotopic variations (δ26Mg = −0.45‰ to −4.5‰). Collectively, the S–Mg–B isotopic characteristics of the Zhaoanzhuang iron orebodies clearly indicate a chemical sedimentary origin. The protoliths of these orebodies most likely reflect a series of Fe–Si–Mg-rich marine carbonate rocks with a considerable evaporite component, indicating a carbonate-rich superior-type banded iron formation precipitated in an evaporitic shallow marine sedimentary environment.
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Thiemens MH, Lin M. Use of Isotope Effects To Understand the Present and Past of the Atmosphere and Climate and Track the Origin of Life. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201812322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark H. Thiemens
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
| | - Mang Lin
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
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Thiemens MH, Lin M. Use of Isotope Effects To Understand the Present and Past of the Atmosphere and Climate and Track the Origin of Life. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:6826-6844. [PMID: 30633432 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201812322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotope ratio measurements have been used as a measure of a wide variety of processes, including solar system evolution, geological formational temperatures, tracking of atmospheric gas and aerosol chemical transformation, and is the only means by which past global temperatures may be determined over long time scales. Conventionally, isotope effects derive from differences of isotopically substituted molecules in isotope vibrational energy, bond strength, velocity, gravity, and evaporation/condensation. The variations in isotope ratio, such as 18 O/16 O (δ18 O) and 17 O/16 O (δ17 O) are dependent upon mass differences with δ17 O/δ18 O=0.5, due to the relative mass differences (1 amu vs. 2 amu). Relations that do not follow this are termed mass independent and are the focus of this Minireview. In chemical reactions such as ozone formation, a δ17 O/δ18 O=1 is observed. Physical chemical models capture most parameters but differ in basic approach and are reviewed. The mass independent effect is observed in atmospheric species and used to track their chemistry at the modern and ancient Earth, Mars, and the early solar system (meteorites).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark H Thiemens
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA
| | - Mang Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA
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Peters M, Guo Q, Strauss H, Wei R, Li S, Yue F. Contamination patterns in river water from rural Beijing: A hydrochemical and multiple stable isotope study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 654:226-236. [PMID: 30445324 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The pollution of urban river has reached a critical level. In the present study, the hydrochemical composition of local surface water collected during two seasons from the rural area around urban Beijing, China, was examined. Concentrations of selected cations and anions reveal the temporal and spatial distribution of anthropogenic and natural pollution. Multiple stable isotopes (δ15Nnitrate, δ18Onitrate, δ34Ssulfate, δ18Osulfate, Δ33Ssulfate) analyses were applied for detecting of specific hydrochemical processes and identifying the major sources of contamination. Twenty-eight percent of the river water samples from the wet season and 34% from the dry season exhibit a minor water quality of class IV (poor) and below due to high pH values as well as high nitrate, sulfate and fluoride concentrations. This water is hazardous for human health and the aquatic ecology. The seemingly better river water quality in the wet season is caused by higher precipitation and, hence, dilution of the water constituents. Multiple isotopes identify urban wastewater as the prime pollution source. The higher fraction of deteriorated river water in the southern rural area (42%) compared to the north (24%) points to a higher contribution of urban effluents to the downstream rivers in the rural south. It can, thus, be concluded that less discharge of wastewater to the local surface and subsurface environments by better controls of public and private sewage disposal combined with the renewal of leaking sewer pipes would reduce the risk of anthropogenic contamination of river water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Peters
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qingjun Guo
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Harald Strauss
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Corrensstr. 24, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Rongfei Wei
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Siliang Li
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Fujun Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
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Atmospheric sulfur is recycled to the crystalline continental crust during supercontinent formation. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4380. [PMID: 30348984 PMCID: PMC6197212 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06691-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The sulfur cycle across the lithosphere and the role of this volatile element in the metasomatism of the mantle at ancient cratonic boundaries are poorly constrained. We address these knowledge gaps by tracking the journey of sulfur in the assembly of a Proterozoic supercontinent using mass independent isotope fractionation (MIF-S) as an indelible tracer. MIF-S is a signature that was imparted to supracrustal sulfur reservoirs before the ~2.4 Ga Great Oxidation Event. The spatial representation of multiple sulfur isotope data indicates that successive Proterozoic granitoid suites preserve Δ33S up to +0.8‰ in areas adjacent to Archean cratons. These results indicate that suturing of cratons began with devolatilisation of slab-derived sediments deep in the lithosphere. This process transferred atmospheric sulfur to a mantle source reservoir, which was tapped intermittently for over 300 million years of magmatism. Our work tracks pathways and storage of sulfur in the lithosphere at craton margins. The long-term evolution of the sulfur budget in the lithosphere is poorly constrained. Here, using mass independent isotope fractionation as an indelible tracer, the authors track the pathway of sulfur from the Earth’s surface to punctuated episodes of granitoid magmatism during collisional orogenesis.
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Buchachenko AL. Mercury Isotopes in Earth and Environmental Chemistry. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s1990793118040048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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20
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Buchachenko AL. Magnetic isotopes as a means to elucidate Earth and environmental chemistry. RUSSIAN CHEMICAL REVIEWS 2018. [DOI: 10.1070/rcr4818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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21
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Aoyama S, Ueno Y. Multiple sulfur isotope constraints on microbial sulfate reduction below an Archean seafloor hydrothermal system. GEOBIOLOGY 2018; 16:107-120. [PMID: 29243877 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial sulfate reduction is among the most ubiquitous metabolic processes on earth. The oldest evidence of microbial sulfate reduction appears in the ca. 3.5 Ga Dresser Formation in the North Pole area of Pilbara Craton in Western Australia. That evidence was found through analysis of quadruple sulfur isotopes of sulfate and sulfide minerals deposited on the seafloor. However, the activity of microbial sulfate reduction below the Archean seafloor remains poorly understood. Here, we report the quadruple sulfur isotopic compositions of sulfide minerals within hydrothermally altered seafloor basalt and less altered basaltic komatiite collected from the North Pole Dome area. The Δ33 S values of the sulfide minerals were nonzero negative, suggesting that sulfate reduction occurred below the Archean seafloor. To constrain the substrate sulfate sources and sulfate reduction processes, we constructed a numerical model. Comparing the modeled and observed sulfur isotopes, we show that the substrate sulfate comprises seawater sulfate with a negative Δ33 S anomaly and 34 S-enriched sulfate with no anomalous Δ33 S. The latter component probably represents sulfate produced by local hydrothermal processes. The maximum sulfur isotopic fractionation between the putative substrate sulfate and the observed sulfide minerals within the altered basalt and basaltic komatiite is 35‰, which is consistent with a microbial origin. Alternatively, thermochemical sulfate reduction may also produce sulfide. However, considering the hydrothermal temperature inferred from the metamorphic grade of the altered basalt, the sulfur isotopic fractionation produced by inorganic sulfate reduction is probably below 20‰. Collectively, larger fractionations imply the involvement of biological sulfate reduction processes, both in the hydrothermal system below the seafloor and in less altered subsurface settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinnosuke Aoyama
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Ueno
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Subsurface Geobiological Analysis and Research (D-SUGAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
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22
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Ogawa T, Hattori S, Kamezaki K, Kato H, Yoshida N, Katayama Y. Isotopic Fractionation of Sulfur in Carbonyl Sulfide by Carbonyl Sulfide Hydrolase of Thiobacillus thioparus THI115. Microbes Environ 2017; 32:367-375. [PMID: 29199215 PMCID: PMC5745022 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me17130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbonyl sulfide (COS) is one of the major sources of stratospheric sulfate aerosols, which affect the global radiation balance and ozone depletion. COS-degrading microorganisms are ubiquitous in soil and important for the global flux of COS. We examined the sulfur isotopic fractionation during the enzymatic degradation of COS by carbonyl sulfide hydrolase (COSase) from Thiobacillus thioparus THI115. The isotopic fractionation constant (34ɛ value) was -2.2±0.2‰. Under experimental conditions performed at parts per million by volume level of COS, the 34ɛ value for intact cells of T. thioparus THI115 was -3.6±0.7‰, suggesting that, based on Rees' model, the 34ɛ value mainly depended on COS transport into the cytoplasm. The 34ɛ value for intact cells of T. thioparus THI115 was similar to those for Mycobacterium spp. and Williamsia sp., which are known to involve the conserved region of nucleotide sequences encoding the clade D of β-class carbonic anhydrase (β-CA) including COSase. On the other hand, the 34ɛ value was distinct from those for bacteria in the genus Cupriavidus. These results provide an insight into biological COS degradation, which is indispensable for estimating the COS global budget based on the isotope because of the significant contribution of COS degradation by microorganisms harboring β-CA family enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Ogawa
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology3–5–8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183–8509Japan
| | - Shohei Hattori
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226–8502Japan
| | - Kazuki Kamezaki
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226–8502Japan
| | - Hiromi Kato
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University2–1–1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980–8577Japan
| | - Naohiro Yoshida
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226–8502Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology2–12–1–IE–1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152–8550Japan
| | - Yoko Katayama
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology3–5–8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183–8509Japan
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Stoltmann T, Casado M, Daëron M, Landais A, Kassi S. Direct, Precise Measurements of Isotopologue Abundance Ratios in CO 2 Using Molecular Absorption Spectroscopy: Application to Δ 17O. Anal Chem 2017; 89:10129-10132. [PMID: 28892362 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b02853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We present an ultrasensitive absorption spectrometer based on a 30 Hz/s stability, sub-kHz line width laser source coupled to a high-stability cavity-ring-down-spectroscopy setup. It provides direct and precise measurements of the isotopic ratios δ17O and δ18O in CO2. We demonstrate the first optical absorption measurements of 17O anomalies in CO2 with a precision better than 10 ppm, matching the requirements for paleo-environmental applications. This illustrates how optical absorption methods have become a competitive alternative to state-of-the-art isotopic ratio mass spectrometry techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Stoltmann
- CNRS, LIPhy , F-38000 Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, LIPhy , F-38000 Grenoble, France.,Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay , F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mathieu Casado
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay , F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mathieu Daëron
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay , F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Amaelle Landais
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay , F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Samir Kassi
- CNRS, LIPhy , F-38000 Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, LIPhy , F-38000 Grenoble, France
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Improved analytical techniques of sulfur isotopic composition in nanomole quantities by MC-ICP-MS. Anal Chim Acta 2017; 988:34-40. [PMID: 28916101 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2017.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We propose an improved method for precise sulfur isotopic measurements by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) in conjunction with a membrane desolvation nebulization system. The problems of sulfur loss through the membrane desolvation apparatus are carefully quantified and resolved. The method overcomes low intrinsic sulfur transmission through the instrument, which was initially 1% when operating at a desolvation temperature of 160 °C. Sulfur loss through the membrane desolvation apparatus was resolved by doping with sodium. A Na/S ratio of 2 mol mol-1 produced sulfur transmissions with 98% recovery. Samples of 3 nmol (100 ng) sulfur achieved an external precision of ±0.18‰ (2 SD) for δ34S and ±0.10‰ (2 SD) for Δ33S (uppercase delta expresses the extent of mass-independent isotopic fractionation). Measurements made on certified reference materials and in-house standards demonstrate analytical accuracy and reproducibility. We applied the method to examine microbial-induced sulfur transformation in marine sediment pore waters from the sulfate-methane transition zone. The technique is quite versatile, and can be applied to a range of materials, including natural waters and minerals.
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Han X, Guo Q, Strauss H, Liu C, Hu J, Guo Z, Wei R, Peters M, Tian L, Kong J. Multiple Sulfur Isotope Constraints on Sources and Formation Processes of Sulfate in Beijing PM 2.5 Aerosol. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:7794-7803. [PMID: 28605583 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Recently air pollution is seriously threatening the health of millions of people in China. The multiple sulfur isotopic composition of sulfate in PM2.5 samples collected in Beijing is used to better constrain potential sources and formation processes of sulfate aerosol. The Δ33S values of sulfate in PM2.5 show a pronounced seasonality with positive values in spring, summer and autumn and negative values in winter. Positive Δ33S anomalies are interpreted to result from SO2 photolysis with self-shielding, and may reflect air mass transport between the troposphere and the stratosphere. The negative Δ33S signature (-0.300‰ < Δ33S < 0‰) in winter is possibly related to incomplete combustion of coal in residential stoves during the heating season, implying that sulfur dioxide released from residential stoves in more rural areas is an important contributor to atmospheric sulfate. However, negative Δ33S anomalies (-0.664‰ < Δ33S ← 0.300‰) in winter and positive Δ33S anomalies (0.300‰ < Δ33S < 0.480‰) in spring, summer, and autumn suggest sulfur isotopic equilibrium on an annual time frame, which may provide an implication for the absence of mass-independent fractionation of sulfur isotopes (S-MIF) in younger sediments. Results obtained here reveal that reducing the usage of coal and improving the heating system in rural areas will be important for efficiently decreasing the emissions of sulfur in China and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokun Han
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 11A Datun Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qingjun Guo
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 11A Datun Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, China
| | - Harald Strauss
- Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Corrensstrasse 24, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Congqiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang Guizhou 550002, China
| | - Jian Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang Guizhou 550002, China
| | - Zhaobing Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology , Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Rongfei Wei
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 11A Datun Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Marc Peters
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 11A Datun Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Liyan Tian
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 11A Datun Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jing Kong
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 11A Datun Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100101, China
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Kaseke KF, Wang L, Seely MK. Nonrainfall water origins and formation mechanisms. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1603131. [PMID: 28345058 PMCID: PMC5362184 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1603131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Dryland ecosystems cover 40% of the total land surface on Earth and are defined broadly as zones where precipitation is considerably less than the potential evapotranspiration. Nonrainfall waters (for example, fog and dew) are the least-studied and least-characterized components of the hydrological cycle, although they supply critical amounts of water for dryland ecosystems. The sources of nonrainfall waters are largely unknown for most systems. In addition, most field and modeling studies tend to consider all nonrainfall inputs as a single category because of technical constraints, which hinders prediction of dryland responses to future warming conditions. This study uses multiple stable isotopes (2H, 18O, and 17O) to show that fog and dew have multiple origins and that groundwater in drylands can be recycled via evapotranspiration and redistributed to the upper soil profile as nonrainfall water. Surprisingly, the non-ocean-derived (locally generated) fog accounts for more than half of the total fog events, suggesting a potential shift from advection-dominated fog to radiation-dominated fog in the fog zone of the Namib Desert. This shift will have implications on the flora and fauna distribution in this fog-dependent system. We also demonstrate that fog and dew can be differentiated on the basis of the dominant fractionation (equilibrium and kinetic) processes during their formation using the 17O-18O relationship. Our results are of great significance in an era of global climate change where the importance of nonrainfall water increases because rainfall is predicted to decline in many dryland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kudzai Farai Kaseke
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Lixin Wang
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Mary K. Seely
- Desert Research Foundation of Namibia, 7 Rossini Street, Windhoek, Namibia
- Gobabeb Research and Training Centre, Walvis Bay, Namibia
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Redox chemistry changes in the Panthalassic Ocean linked to the end-Permian mass extinction and delayed Early Triassic biotic recovery. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:1806-1810. [PMID: 28167796 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610931114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The end-Permian mass extinction represents the most severe biotic crisis for the last 540 million years, and the marine ecosystem recovery from this extinction was protracted, spanning the entirety of the Early Triassic and possibly longer. Numerous studies from the low-latitude Paleotethys and high-latitude Boreal oceans have examined the possible link between ocean chemistry changes and the end-Permian mass extinction. However, redox chemistry changes in the Panthalassic Ocean, comprising ∼85-90% of the global ocean area, remain under debate. Here, we report multiple S-isotopic data of pyrite from Upper Permian-Lower Triassic deep-sea sediments of the Panthalassic Ocean, now present in outcrops of western Canada and Japan. We find a sulfur isotope signal of negative Δ33S with either positive δ34S or negative δ34S that implies mixing of sulfide sulfur with different δ34S before, during, and after the end-Permian mass extinction. The precise coincidence of the negative Δ33S anomaly with the extinction horizon in western Canada suggests that shoaling of H2S-rich waters may have driven the end-Permian mass extinction. Our data also imply episodic euxinia and oscillations between sulfidic and oxic conditions during the earliest Triassic, providing evidence of a causal link between incursion of sulfidic waters and the delayed recovery of the marine ecosystem.
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Duda JP, Van Kranendonk MJ, Thiel V, Ionescu D, Strauss H, Schäfer N, Reitner J. A Rare Glimpse of Paleoarchean Life: Geobiology of an Exceptionally Preserved Microbial Mat Facies from the 3.4 Ga Strelley Pool Formation, Western Australia. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147629. [PMID: 26807732 PMCID: PMC4726515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Paleoarchean rocks from the Pilbara Craton of Western Australia provide a variety of clues to the existence of early life on Earth, such as stromatolites, putative microfossils and geochemical signatures of microbial activity. However, some of these features have also been explained by non-biological processes. Further lines of evidence are therefore required to convincingly argue for the presence of microbial life. Here we describe a new type of microbial mat facies from the 3.4 Ga Strelley Pool Formation, which directly overlies well known stromatolitic carbonates from the same formation. This microbial mat facies consists of laminated, very fine-grained black cherts with discontinuous white quartz layers and lenses, and contains small domical stromatolites and wind-blown crescentic ripples. Light- and cathodoluminescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and time of flight—secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) reveal a spatial association of carbonates, organic material, and highly abundant framboidal pyrite within the black cherts. Nano secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) confirmed the presence of distinct spheroidal carbonate bodies up to several tens of μm that are surrounded by organic material and pyrite. These aggregates are interpreted as biogenic. Comparison with Phanerozoic analogues indicates that the facies represents microbial mats formed in a shallow marine environment. Carbonate precipitation and silicification by hydrothermal fluids occurred during sedimentation and earliest diagenesis. The deciphered environment, as well as the δ13C signature of bulk organic matter (-35.3‰), are in accord with the presence of photoautotrophs. At the same time, highly abundant framboidal pyrite exhibits a sulfur isotopic signature (δ34S = +3.05‰; Δ33S = 0.268‰; and Δ36S = -0.282‰) that is consistent with microbial sulfate reduction. Taken together, our results strongly support a microbial mat origin of the black chert facies, thus providing another line of evidence for life in the 3.4 Ga Strelley Pool Formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Peter Duda
- Department of Geobiology, Geoscience Centre, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- ‘Origin of Life’ Group, Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Theaterstraße 7, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Martin J. Van Kranendonk
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Volker Thiel
- Department of Geobiology, Geoscience Centre, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Danny Ionescu
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Alte Fischerhütte 2, 16775, Stechlin, Germany
| | - Harald Strauss
- Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 24, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Nadine Schäfer
- Department of Geobiology, Geoscience Centre, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Joachim Reitner
- Department of Geobiology, Geoscience Centre, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- ‘Origin of Life’ Group, Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Theaterstraße 7, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
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Strauss H, Chmiel H, Christ A, Fugmann A, Hanselmann K, Kappler A, Königer P, Lutter A, Siedenberg K, Teichert BMA. Multiple sulphur and oxygen isotopes reveal microbial sulphur cycling in spring waters in the Lower Engadin, Switzerland. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2015; 52:75-93. [PMID: 25922968 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2015.1032961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Highly mineralized springs in the Scuol-Tarasp area of the Lower Engadin and in the Albula Valley near Alvaneu, Switzerland, display distinct differences with respect to the source and fate of their dissolved sulphur species. High sulphate concentrations and positive sulphur (δ(34)S) and oxygen (δ(18)O) isotopic compositions argue for the subsurface dissolution of Mesozoic evaporitic sulphate. In contrast, low sulphate concentrations and less positive or even negative δ(34)S and δ(18)O values indicate a substantial contribution of sulphate sulphur from the oxidation of sulphides in the crystalline basement rocks or the Jurassic sedimentary cover rocks. Furthermore, multiple sulphur (δ(34)S, Δ(33)S) isotopes support the identification of microbial sulphate reduction and sulphide oxidation in the subsurface, the latter is also evident through the presence of thick aggregates of sulphide-oxidizing Thiothrix bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Strauss
- a Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Münster , Germany
| | - Hannah Chmiel
- a Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Münster , Germany
- b Limnology Department , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Andreas Christ
- a Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Münster , Germany
| | - Artur Fugmann
- a Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Münster , Germany
| | - Kurt Hanselmann
- c Department of Earth Sciences, Geomicrobiology Group , ETHZ , Zürich , Switzerland
| | - Andreas Kappler
- d Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences , University of Tuebingen , Tuebingen , Germany
| | - Paul Königer
- e Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe , Hannover , Germany
| | - Andreas Lutter
- a Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Münster , Germany
| | - Katharina Siedenberg
- a Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Münster , Germany
| | - Barbara M A Teichert
- a Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Münster , Germany
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31
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Sulfur isotope fractionation during the evolutionary adaptation of a sulfate-reducing bacterium. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:2676-89. [PMID: 25662968 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03476-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Dissimilatory sulfate reduction is a microbial catabolic pathway that preferentially processes less massive sulfur isotopes relative to their heavier counterparts. This sulfur isotope fractionation is recorded in ancient sedimentary rocks and generally is considered to reflect a phenotypic response to environmental variations rather than to evolutionary adaptation. Modern sulfate-reducing microorganisms isolated from similar environments can exhibit a wide range of sulfur isotope fractionations, suggesting that adaptive processes influence the sulfur isotope phenotype. To date, the relationship between evolutionary adaptation and isotopic phenotypes has not been explored. We addressed this by studying the covariation of fitness, sulfur isotope fractionation, and growth characteristics in Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough in a microbial evolution experiment. After 560 generations, the mean fitness of the evolved lineages relative to the starting isogenic population had increased by ∼ 17%. After 927 generations, the mean fitness relative to the initial ancestral population had increased by ∼ 20%. Growth rate in exponential phase increased during the course of the experiment, suggesting that this was a primary influence behind the fitness increases. Consistent changes were observed within different selection intervals between fractionation and fitness. Fitness changes were associated with changes in exponential growth rate but changes in fractionation were not. Instead, they appeared to be a response to changes in the parameters that govern growth rate: yield and cell-specific sulfate respiration rate. We hypothesize that cell-specific sulfate respiration rate, in particular, provides a bridge that allows physiological controls on fractionation to cross over to the adaptive realm.
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32
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Franz HB, Kim ST, Farquhar J, Day JMD, Economos RC, McKeegan KD, Schmitt AK, Irving AJ, Hoek J, Dottin J. Isotopic links between atmospheric chemistry and the deep sulphur cycle on Mars. Nature 2014; 508:364-8. [PMID: 24740066 DOI: 10.1038/nature13175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The geochemistry of Martian meteorites provides a wealth of information about the solid planet and the surface and atmospheric processes that occurred on Mars. The degree to which Martian magmas may have assimilated crustal material, thus altering the geochemical signatures acquired from their mantle sources, is unclear. This issue features prominently in efforts to understand whether the source of light rare-earth elements in enriched shergottites lies in crustal material incorporated into melts or in mixing between enriched and depleted mantle reservoirs. Sulphur isotope systematics offer insight into some aspects of crustal assimilation. The presence of igneous sulphides in Martian meteorites with sulphur isotope signatures indicative of mass-independent fractionation suggests the assimilation of sulphur both during passage of magmas through the crust of Mars and at sites of emplacement. Here we report isotopic analyses of 40 Martian meteorites that represent more than half of the distinct known Martian meteorites, including 30 shergottites (28 plus 2 pairs, where pairs are separate fragments of a single meteorite), 8 nakhlites (5 plus 3 pairs), Allan Hills 84001 and Chassigny. Our data provide strong evidence that assimilation of sulphur into Martian magmas was a common occurrence throughout much of the planet's history. The signature of mass-independent fractionation observed also indicates that the atmospheric imprint of photochemical processing preserved in Martian meteoritic sulphide and sulphate is distinct from that observed in terrestrial analogues, suggesting fundamental differences between the dominant sulphur chemistry in the atmosphere of Mars and that in the atmosphere of Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather B Franz
- 1] Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA [2] Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Sang-Tae Kim
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - James Farquhar
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - James M D Day
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Rita C Economos
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Kevin D McKeegan
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Axel K Schmitt
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Anthony J Irving
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Joost Hoek
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - James Dottin
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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Brand WA, Coplen TB, Vogl J, Rosner M, Prohaska T. Assessment of international reference materials for isotope-ratio analysis (IUPAC Technical Report). PURE APPL CHEM 2014. [DOI: 10.1515/pac-2013-1023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 400] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
AbstractSince the early 1950s, the number of international measurement standards for anchoring stable isotope delta scales has mushroomed from 3 to more than 30, expanding to more than 25 chemical elements. With the development of new instrumentation, along with new and improved measurement procedures for studying naturally occurring isotopic abundance variations in natural and technical samples, the number of internationally distributed, secondary isotopic reference materials with a specified delta value has blossomed in the last six decades to more than 150 materials. More than half of these isotopic reference materials were produced for isotope-delta measurements of seven elements: H, Li, B, C, N, O, and S. The number of isotopic reference materials for other, heavier elements has grown considerably over the last decade. Nevertheless, even primary international measurement standards for isotope-delta measurements are still needed for some elements, including Mg, Fe, Te, Sb, Mo, and Ge. It is recommended that authors publish the delta values of internationally distributed, secondary isotopic reference materials that were used for anchoring their measurement results to the respective primary stable isotope scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willi A. Brand
- 1Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Jochen Vogl
- 3BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Prohaska
- 5University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Tulln, Austria
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Thiemens MH. Introduction to chemistry and applications in nature of mass independent isotope effects special feature. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:17631-7. [PMID: 24167299 PMCID: PMC3816458 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1312926110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stable isotope ratio variations are regulated by physical and chemical laws. These rules depend on a relation with mass differences between isotopes. New classes of isotope variation effects that deviate from mass dependent laws, termed mass independent isotope effects, were discovered in 1983 and have a wide range of applications in basic chemistry and nature. In this special edition, new applications of these effects to physical chemistry, solar system origin models, terrestrial atmospheric and biogenic evolution, polar paleo climatology, snowball earth geology, and present day atmospheric sciences are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark H. Thiemens
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0356
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SO2 photoexcitation mechanism links mass-independent sulfur isotopic fractionation in cryospheric sulfate to climate impacting volcanism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:17656-61. [PMID: 23417298 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1213153110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural climate variation, such as that caused by volcanoes, is the basis for identifying anthropogenic climate change. However, knowledge of the history of volcanic activity is inadequate, particularly concerning the explosivity of specific events. Some material is deposited in ice cores, but the concentration of glacial sulfate does not distinguish between tropospheric and stratospheric eruptions. Stable sulfur isotope abundances contain additional information, and recent studies show a correlation between volcanic plumes that reach the stratosphere and mass-independent anomalies in sulfur isotopes in glacial sulfate. We describe a mechanism, photoexcitation of SO2, that links the two, yielding a useful metric of the explosivity of historic volcanic events. A plume model of S(IV) to S(VI) conversion was constructed including photochemistry, entrainment of background air, and sulfate deposition. Isotopologue-specific photoexcitation rates were calculated based on the UV absorption cross-sections of (32)SO2, (33)SO2, (34)SO2, and (36)SO2 from 250 to 320 nm. The model shows that UV photoexcitation is enhanced with altitude, whereas mass-dependent oxidation, such as SO2 + OH, is suppressed by in situ plume chemistry, allowing the production and preservation of a mass-independent sulfur isotope anomaly in the sulfate product. The model accounts for the amplitude, phases, and time development of Δ(33)S/δ(34)S and Δ(36)S/Δ(33)S found in glacial samples. We are able to identify the process controlling mass-independent sulfur isotope anomalies in the modern atmosphere. This mechanism is the basis of identifying the magnitude of historic volcanic events.
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Harris E, Sinha B, Hoppe P, Ono S. High-precision measurements of (33)S and (34)S fractionation during SO2 oxidation reveal causes of seasonality in SO2 and sulfate isotopic composition. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:12174-12183. [PMID: 24079753 DOI: 10.1021/es402824c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This study presents high-precision isotope ratio-mass spectrometric measurements of isotopic fractionation during oxidation of SO2 by OH radicals in the gas phase and H2O2 and transition metal ion catalysis (TMI-catalysis) in the aqueous phase. Although temperature dependence of fractionation factors was found to be significant for H2O2 and TMI-catalyzed pathways, results from a simple 1D model revealed that changing partitioning between oxidation pathways was the dominant cause of seasonality in the isotopic composition of sulfate relative to SO2. Comparison of modeled seasonality with observations shows the TMI-catalyzed oxidation pathway is underestimated by more than an order of magnitude in all current atmospheric chemistry models. The three reactions showed an approximately mass-dependent relationship between (33)S and (34)S. However, the slope of the mass-dependent line was significantly different to 0.515 for the OH and TMI-catalyzed pathways, reflecting kinetic versus equilibrium control of isotopic fractionation. For the TMI-catalyzed pathway, both temperature dependence and (33)S/(34)S relationship revealed a shift in the rate-limiting reaction step from dissolution at lower temperatures to TMI-sulfite complex formation at higher temperatures. 1D model results showed that although individual reactions could produce Δ(33)S values between -0.15 and +0.2‰, seasonal changes in partitioning between oxidation pathways caused average sulfate Δ(33)S values of 0‰ throughout the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Harris
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United States
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Vibronic origin of sulfur mass-independent isotope effect in photoexcitation of SO2 and the implications to the early earth's atmosphere. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:17697-702. [PMID: 23836655 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1306979110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Signatures of mass-independent isotope fractionation (MIF) are found in the oxygen ((16)O,(17)O,(18)O) and sulfur ((32)S, (33)S, (34)S, (36)S) isotope systems and serve as important tracers of past and present atmospheric processes. These unique isotope signatures signify the breakdown of the traditional theory of isotope fractionation, but the physical chemistry of these isotope effects remains poorly understood. We report the production of large sulfur isotope MIF, with Δ(33)S up to 78‰ and Δ(36)S up to 110‰, from the broadband excitation of SO2 in the 250-350-nm absorption region. Acetylene is used to selectively trap the triplet-state SO2 ( (3)B1), which results from intersystem crossing from the excited singlet ( (1)A2/ (1)B1) states. The observed MIF signature differs considerably from that predicted by isotopologue-specific absorption cross-sections of SO2 and is insensitive to the wavelength region of excitation (above or below 300 nm), suggesting that the MIF originates not from the initial excitation of SO2 to the singlet states but from an isotope selective spin-orbit interaction between the singlet ( (1)A2/ (1)B1) and triplet ( (3)B1) manifolds. Calculations based on high-level potential energy surfaces of the multiple excited states show a considerable lifetime anomaly for (33)SO2 and (36)SO2 for the low vibrational levels of the (1)A2 state. These results demonstrate that the isotope selectivity of accidental near-resonance interactions between states is of critical importance in understanding the origin of MIF in photochemical systems.
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Production, preservation, and biological processing of mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation in the Archean surface environment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:17644-9. [PMID: 23572589 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1213148110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mass-independent fractionation of sulfur isotopes (S MIF) in Archean and Paleoproterozoic rocks provides strong evidence for an anoxic atmosphere before ~2,400 Ma. However, the origin of this isotopic anomaly remains unclear, as does the identity of the molecules that carried it from the atmosphere to Earth's surface. Irrespective of the origin of S MIF, processes in the biogeochemical sulfur cycle modify the primary signal and strongly influence the S MIF preserved and observed in the geological record. Here, a detailed model of the marine sulfur cycle is used to propagate and distribute atmospherically derived S MIF from its delivery to the ocean to its preservation in the sediment. Bulk pyrite in most sediments carries weak S MIF because of microbial reduction of most sulfur compounds to form isotopically homogeneous sulfide. Locally, differential incorporation of sulfur compounds into pyrite leads to preservation of S MIF, which is predicted to be most highly variable in nonmarine and shallow-water settings. The Archean ocean is efficient in diluting primary atmospheric S MIF in the marine pools of sulfate and elemental sulfur with inputs from SO2 and H2S, respectively. Preservation of S MIF with the observed range of magnitudes requires the S MIF production mechanism to be moderately fractionating ( 20-40‰). Constraints from the marine sulfur cycle allow that either elemental sulfur or organosulfur compounds (or both) carried S MIF to the surface, with opposite sign to S MIF in SO2 and H2SO4. Optimal progress requires observations from nonmarine and shallow-water environments and experimental constraints on the reaction of photoexcited SO2 with atmospheric hydrocarbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoly L. Buchachenko
- Institute
of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation and Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russian Federation
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40
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Hulston JR, Thode HG. Cosmic-ray-produced S36and S33in the metallic phase of iron meteorites. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/jz070i018p04435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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41
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Burnett DS, Lippolt HJ, Wasserburg GJ. The relative isotopic abundance of K40in terrestrial and meteoritic samples. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/jz071i004p01249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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42
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Burgess R, Wright IP, Pillinger CT. Determination of sulphur-bearing components in C1 and C2 carbonaceous chondrites by stepped combustion. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1945-5100.1991.tb01015.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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43
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Thiemens MH, Chakraborty S, Dominguez G. The Physical Chemistry of Mass-Independent Isotope Effects and Their Observation in Nature. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2012; 63:155-77. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-032511-143657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Historically, the physical chemistry of isotope effects and precise measurements in samples from nature have provided information on processes that could not have been obtained otherwise. With the discovery of a mass-independent isotopic fractionation during the formation of ozone, a new physical chemical basis for isotope effects required development. Combined theoretical and experimental developments have broadened this understanding and extended the range of chemical systems where these unique effects occur. Simultaneously, the application of mass-independent isotopic measurements to an extensive range of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial systems has furthered the understanding of events such as solar system origin and evolution and planetary atmospheric chemistry, present and past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark H. Thiemens
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093;,
| | - Subrata Chakraborty
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093;,
| | - Gerardo Dominguez
- Department of Physics, California State University, San Marcos, San Marcos, California 92096
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Strauss H, Bast R, Cording A, Diekrup D, Fugmann A, Garbe-Schönberg D, Lutter A, Oeser M, Rabe K, Reinke D, Teichert BMA, Westernströer U. Sulphur diagenesis in the sediments of the Kiel Bight, SW Baltic Sea, as reflected by multiple stable sulphur isotopes. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2012; 48:166-179. [PMID: 22303924 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2012.648930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In this work, the biogeochemistry of marine sediments from the Kiel Bight, coastal SW Baltic Sea, is studied based on the abundance and isotopic composition of organic carbon and different forms of sedimentary sulphur. Active bacterial sulphate reduction, partly under sulphate-limiting conditions, is evident from paired δ(34)S and δ(18)O values of pore water sulphate. The resulting pore water sulphide is partly precipitated as acid-volatile iron sulphide and subsequently forms sedimentary pyrite, partly serves in later diagenetic sulphurisation of organic matter, or remains dissolved in the pore water, all evident from the respective δ(34)S values. Microbial sulphate turnover is associated with an apparent isotopic fractionation between dissolved sulphate and dissolved sulphide (Δ(34)S) that varies between 46 and 66‰.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Strauss
- Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, 48149, Münster, Germany.
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Yang L, Mester Z, Zhou L, Gao S, Sturgeon RE, Meija J. Observations of Large Mass-Independent Fractionation Occurring in MC-ICPMS: Implications for Determination of Accurate Isotope Amount Ratios. Anal Chem 2011; 83:8999-9004. [DOI: 10.1021/ac201795v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yang
- Institute for National Measurement Standards, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6, Canada
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Zoltán Mester
- Institute for National Measurement Standards, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Lian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Shan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Ralph E. Sturgeon
- Institute for National Measurement Standards, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Juris Meija
- Institute for National Measurement Standards, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6, Canada
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Halevy I, Johnston DT, Schrag DP. Explaining the Structure of the Archean Mass-Independent Sulfur Isotope Record. Science 2010; 329:204-7. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1190298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Itay Halevy
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - David T. Johnston
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Daniel P. Schrag
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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Guo Z, Li Z, Farquhar J, Kaufman AJ, Wu N, Li C, Dickerson RR, Wang P. Identification of sources and formation processes of atmospheric sulfate by sulfur isotope and scanning electron microscope measurements. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009jd012893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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