1
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Mazzi G, Feltracco M, Barbaro E, Alterio A, Favaro E, Azri C, Gambaro A. Glyphosate and other plant protection products in size-segregated urban aerosol: Occurrence and dimensional trend. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 359:124596. [PMID: 39053796 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Plant protection products (PPPs) play a fundamental role in the maintenance of agricultural fields and private/public green areas, however they can contaminate zones nearby the application point due to wind drift, resuspension, and evaporation. Several studied have deepened the relationship between PPPs and living beings' health, suggesting that these products might have a negative influence. Some PPPs belong to the class of Emergent Contaminants, which are compounds whose knowledge on the environmental distribution and influence is limited. These issues are even more stressed in urban aerosol, due to the high residential density that characterizes this area. Therefore, this study assessed the contamination caused by polar PPPs, such as herbicides (i.e., Glyphosate), fungicides (i.e., Fosetyl Aluminium), and growth regulators (i.e. Maleic Hydrazide), in size-segregated urban aerosol and evaluated their concentration variability with respect to atmospheric parameters (humidity, temperature, rain). Moreover, hypotheses on possible sources were formulated, exploiting also back-trajectories of air masses. A total of six PPPs were found in the samples: glyphosate was more present in the coarse fraction (2.5-10 μm), Fosetyl Aluminium, chlorate and perchlorate were more present in the coarse/fine fractions (10-1 μm), while cyanuric acid and phosphonic acid were mostly concentrated in the fine/ultrafine fractions (<1 μm). While for the first four we suspect of local sources, such as private gardening, the two latter might derive from the entire Po Valley, a highly polluted area in the North of Italy, and from degradation of other substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Mazzi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia Mestre, Italy.
| | - Matteo Feltracco
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia Mestre, Italy.
| | - Elena Barbaro
- Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia Mestre, Italy.
| | - Agata Alterio
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia Mestre, Italy.
| | - Eleonora Favaro
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia Mestre, Italy.
| | - Chafai Azri
- Research Laboratory of Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development "LASED", LR18ES32, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
| | - Andrea Gambaro
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia Mestre, Italy.
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2
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Torres-Boy A, Taccone MI, Kirschbaum C, Ober K, Stein T, Meijer G, von Helden G. Investigation of the Proton-Bound Dimer of Dihydrogen Phosphate and Formate Using Infrared Spectroscopy in Helium Droplets. J Phys Chem A 2024; 128:4456-4466. [PMID: 38771224 PMCID: PMC11163467 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.4c01632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the structural and dynamic properties of proton-bound complexes is crucial for elucidating fundamental aspects of chemical reactivity and molecular interactions. In this work, the proton-bound complex between dihydrogen phosphate and formate, and its deuterated counterparts, is investigated using IR action spectroscopy in helium droplets. Contrary to the initial expectation that the stronger phosphoric acid would donate a proton to formate, both experiment and theory show that all exchangeable protons are located in the phosphate moiety. The experimental spectra show good agreement with both scaled harmonic and VPT2 anharmonic calculations, indicating that anharmonic effects are small. Some H-bending modes of the nondeuterated complex are found to be sensitive to the helium environment. In the case of the partially deuterated complexes, the experiments indicate that internal dynamics leads to isomeric interconversion upon IR excitation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martín I. Taccone
- Fritz
Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carla Kirschbaum
- Fritz
Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität
Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Katja Ober
- Fritz
Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tamar Stein
- Institute
of Chemistry and Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gerard Meijer
- Fritz
Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gert von Helden
- Fritz
Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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3
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Pasik D, Iyer S, Myllys N. Cost-effective approach for atmospheric accretion reactions: a case of peroxy radical addition to isoprene. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:2560-2567. [PMID: 38170853 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp04308h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
We present an accurate and cost-effective method for investigating the accretion reactions between unsaturated hydrocarbons and oxidized organic radicals. We use accretion between isoprene and primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl peroxy radicals as model reactions. We show that a systematic semiempirical transition state search can lead to better transition state structures than relaxed scanning with density functional theory with a significant gain in computational efficiency. Additionally, we suggest accurate and effective quantum chemical methods to study accretion reactions between large unsaturated hydrocarbons and oxidized organic radicals. Furthermore, we examine the atmospheric relevance of these types of reactions by calculating the bimolecular reaction rate coefficients and formation rates under atmospheric conditions from the quantum chemical reaction energy barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Pasik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland.
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Siddharth Iyer
- Aerosol Physics Laboratory, Tampere University, Tampere FI-3720, Finland
| | - Nanna Myllys
- Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland.
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
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4
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Ma F, Xie HB, Zhang R, Su L, Jiang Q, Tang W, Chen J, Engsvang M, Elm J, He XC. Enhancement of Atmospheric Nucleation Precursors on Iodic Acid-Induced Nucleation: Predictive Model and Mechanism. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:6944-6954. [PMID: 37083433 PMCID: PMC10157892 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Iodic acid (IA) has recently been recognized as a key driver for new particle formation (NPF) in marine atmospheres. However, the knowledge of which atmospheric vapors can enhance IA-induced NPF remains limited. The unique halogen bond (XB)-forming capacity of IA makes it difficult to evaluate the enhancing potential (EP) of target compounds on IA-induced NPF based on widely studied sulfuric acid systems. Herein, we employed a three-step procedure to evaluate the EP of potential atmospheric nucleation precursors on IA-induced NPF. First, we evaluated the EP of 63 precursors by simulating the formation free energies (ΔG) of the IA-containing dimer clusters. Among all dimer clusters, 44 contained XBs, demonstrating that XBs are frequently formed. Based on the calculated ΔG values, a quantitative structure-activity relationship model was developed for evaluating the EP of other precursors. Second, amines and O/S-atom-containing acids were found to have high EP, with diethylamine (DEA) yielding the highest potential to enhance IA-induced nucleation by combining both the calculated ΔG and atmospheric concentration of considered 63 precursors. Finally, by studying larger (IA)1-3(DEA)1-3 clusters, we found that the IA-DEA system with merely 0.1 ppt (2.5×106 cm-3) DEA yields comparable nucleation rates to that of the IA-iodous acid system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Hong-Bin Xie
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Rongjie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Lihao Su
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Qi Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Weihao Tang
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Jingwen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Morten Engsvang
- Department of Chemistry and iClimate, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jonas Elm
- Department of Chemistry and iClimate, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Xu-Cheng He
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki 00560, Finland
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5
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Kubečka J, Neefjes I, Besel V, Qiao F, Xie HB, Elm J. Atmospheric Sulfuric Acid-Multi-Base New Particle Formation Revealed through Quantum Chemistry Enhanced by Machine Learning. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:2091-2103. [PMID: 36811954 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The formation of molecular clusters and secondary aerosols in the atmosphere has a significant impact on the climate. Studies typically focus on the new particle formation (NPF) of sulfuric acid (SA) with a single base molecule (e.g., dimethylamine or ammonia). In this work, we examine the combinations and synergy of several bases. Specifically, we used computational quantum chemistry to perform configurational sampling (CS) of (SA)0-4(base)0-4 clusters with five different types of bases: ammonia (AM), methylamine (MA), dimethylamine (DMA), trimethylamine (TMA), and ethylenediamine (EDA). Overall, we studied 316 different clusters. We used a traditional multilevel funnelling sampling approach augmented by a machine-learning (ML) step. The ML made the CS of these clusters possible by significantly enhancing the speed and quality of the search for the lowest free energy configurations. Subsequently, the cluster thermodynamics properties were evaluated at the DLPNO-CCSD(T0)/aug-cc-pVTZ//ωB97X-D/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory. The calculated binding free energies were used to evaluate the cluster stabilities for population dynamics simulations. The resultant SA-driven NPF rates and synergies of the studied bases are presented to show that DMA and EDA act as nucleators (although EDA becomes weak in large clusters), TMA acts as a catalyzer, and AM/MA is often overshadowed by strong bases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Kubečka
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Ivo Neefjes
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, Helsinki 00140, Finland
| | - Vitus Besel
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, Helsinki 00140, Finland
| | - Fukang Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Hong-Bin Xie
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jonas Elm
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
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6
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Chen J. Theoretical analysis of sulfuric acid–dimethylamine–oxalic acid–water clusters and implications for atmospheric cluster formation. RSC Adv 2022; 12:22425-22434. [PMID: 36106005 PMCID: PMC9364903 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra03492a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, organic compounds potentially involved in atmospheric particle formation have received increased attention. However, the contributions of organic acids as precursors in nucleation remain ambiguous. In this study, the low-lying structures and thermodynamics of the sulfuric acid–dimethylamine–oxalic acid–water system are obtained at the M06-2X/6-311+G(2d,p) level, and the single point energy of the clusters has been calculated at the DF-LMP2-F12/VDZ-F12 level. The formations of the multicomponent clusters are predicted based on thermodynamics, involving proton transfer and hydrogen bonding interactions. Oxalic acid can synergistically promote the formation of the sulfuric acid–dimethylamine–oxalic acid–water system while inhibiting this with the addition of more sulfuric acid molecules. The results of hydrate distribution show that un-hydrate clusters play a dominant role during formation. Moreover, dimethylamine and oxalic acid have similar effects on Rayleigh scattering properties, and the clusters involving complex mixtures of compounds can have high optical activities. The structure of SA2.DMA.OA.W4 cluster.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Chen
- Anhui Meteorological Observatory, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China
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7
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Ahlmann S, Münzner P, Moch K, Sokolov AP, Böhmer R, Gainaru C. The relationship between charge and molecular dynamics in viscous acid hydrates. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:014505. [PMID: 34241375 DOI: 10.1063/5.0055179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oscillatory shear rheology has been employed to access the structural rearrangements of deeply supercooled sulfuric acid tetrahydrate (SA4H) and phosphoric acid monohydrate, the latter in protonated (PA1H) and deuterated (PA1D) forms. Their viscoelastic responses are analyzed in relation to their previously investigated electric conductivity. The comparison of the also presently reported dielectric response of deuterated sulfuric acid tetrahydrate (SA4D) and that of its protonated analog SA4H reveals an absence of isotope effects for the charge transport in this hydrate. This finding clearly contrasts with the situation known for PA1H and PA1D. Our analyses also demonstrate that the conductivity relaxation profiles of acid hydrides closely resemble those exhibited by classical ionic electrolytes, even though the charge transport in phosphoric acid hydrates is dominated by proton transfer processes. At variance with this dielectric simplicity, the viscoelastic responses of these materials depend on their structural compositions. While SA4H displays a "simple liquid"-like viscoelastic behavior, the mechanical responses of PA1H and PA1D are more complex, revealing relaxation modes, which are faster than their ubiquitous structural rearrangements. Interestingly, the characteristic rates of these fast mechanical relaxations agree well with the characteristic frequencies of the charge rearrangements probed in the dielectric investigations, suggesting appearance of a proton transfer in mechanical relaxation of phosphoric acid hydrates. These findings open the exciting perspective of exploiting shear rheology to access not only the dynamics of the matrix but also that of the charge carriers in highly viscous decoupled conductors.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ahlmann
- Fakultät Physik, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | - P Münzner
- Fakultät Physik, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | - K Moch
- Fakultät Physik, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | - A P Sokolov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - R Böhmer
- Fakultät Physik, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | - C Gainaru
- Fakultät Physik, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
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8
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Sousa-Silva C, Seager S, Ranjan S, Petkowski JJ, Zhan Z, Hu R, Bains W. Phosphine as a Biosignature Gas in Exoplanet Atmospheres. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:235-268. [PMID: 31755740 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A long-term goal of exoplanet studies is the identification and detection of biosignature gases. Beyond the most discussed biosignature gas O2, only a handful of gases have been considered in detail. In this study, we evaluate phosphine (PH3). On Earth, PH3 is associated with anaerobic ecosystems, and as such, it is a potential biosignature gas in anoxic exoplanets. We simulate the atmospheres of habitable terrestrial planets with CO2- and H2-dominated atmospheres and find that PH3 can accumulate to detectable concentrations on planets with surface production fluxes of 1010 to 1014 cm-2 s-1 (corresponding to surface concentrations of 10s of ppb to 100s of ppm), depending on atmospheric composition and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. While high, the surface flux values are comparable to the global terrestrial production rate of methane or CH4 (1011 cm-2 s-1) and below the maximum local terrestrial PH3 production rate (1014 cm-2 s-1). As with other gases, PH3 can more readily accumulate on low-UV planets, for example, planets orbiting quiet M dwarfs or with a photochemically generated UV shield. PH3 has three strong spectral features such that in any atmosphere scenario one of the three will be unique compared with other dominant spectroscopic molecules. Phosphine's weakness as a biosignature gas is its high reactivity, requiring high outgassing rates for detectability. We calculate that tens of hours of JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) time are required for a potential detection of PH3. Yet, because PH3 is spectrally active in the same wavelength regions as other atmospherically important molecules (such as H2O and CH4), searches for PH3 can be carried out at no additional observational cost to searches for other molecular species relevant to characterizing exoplanet habitability. Phosphine is a promising biosignature gas, as it has no known abiotic false positives on terrestrial planets from any source that could generate the high fluxes required for detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Sousa-Silva
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Physics, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Sara Seager
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Physics, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Sukrit Ranjan
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
- SCOL Postdoctoral Fellow
| | - Janusz Jurand Petkowski
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Zhuchang Zhan
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Renyu Hu
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
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9
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Elm J, Hyttinen N, Lin JJ, Kurtén T, Prisle NL. Strong Even/Odd Pattern in the Computed Gas-Phase Stability of Dicarboxylic Acid Dimers: Implications for Condensation Thermodynamics. J Phys Chem A 2019; 123:9594-9599. [PMID: 31610657 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.9b08020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The physical properties of small straight-chain dicarboxylic acids are well known to exhibit even/odd alternations with respect to the carbon chain length. For example, odd numbered diacids have lower melting points and higher saturation vapor pressures than adjacent even numbered diacids. This alternation has previously been explained in terms of solid-state properties, such as higher torsional strain of odd number diacids. Using quantum chemical methods, we demonstrate an additional contribution to this alternation in properties resulting from gas-phase dimer formation. Due to a combination of hydrogen bond strength and torsional strain, dimer formation in the gas phase occurs efficiently for glutaric acid (C5) and pimelic acid (C7) but is unfavorable for succinic acid (C4) and adipic acid (C6). Our results indicate that a significant fraction of the total atmospheric gas-phase concentration of glutaric and pimelic acid may consist of dimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Elm
- Department of Chemistry and iClimate , Aarhus University , Langelandsgade 140 , 8000 Aarhus C , Denmark
| | - Noora Hyttinen
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit , University of Oulu , P.O. Box 3000, 90014 Oulu , Finland
| | - Jack J Lin
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit , University of Oulu , P.O. Box 3000, 90014 Oulu , Finland
| | - Theo Kurtén
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) , University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 55, FI-00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Nønne L Prisle
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit , University of Oulu , P.O. Box 3000, 90014 Oulu , Finland
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10
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Bains W, Petkowski JJ, Sousa-Silva C, Seager S. Trivalent Phosphorus and Phosphines as Components of Biochemistry in Anoxic Environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2019; 19:885-902. [PMID: 30896974 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus is an essential element for all life on Earth, yet trivalent phosphorus (e.g., in phosphines) appears to be almost completely absent from biology. Instead phosphorus is utilized by life almost exclusively as phosphate, apart from a small contingent of other pentavalent phosphorus compounds containing structurally similar chemical groups. In this work, we address four previously stated arguments as to why life does not explore trivalent phosphorus: (1) precedent (lack of confirmed instances of trivalent phosphorus in biochemicals suggests that life does not have the means to exploit this chemistry), (2) thermodynamic limitations (synthesizing trivalent phosphorus compounds is too energetically costly), (3) stability (phosphines are too reactive and readily oxidize in an oxygen (O2)-rich atmosphere), and (4) toxicity (the trivalent phosphorus compounds are broadly toxic). We argue that the first two of these arguments are invalid, and the third and fourth arguments only apply to the O2-rich environment of modern Earth. Specifically, both the reactivity and toxicity of phosphines are specific to aerobic life and strictly dependent on O2-rich environment. We postulate that anaerobic life persisting in anoxic (O2-free) environments may exploit trivalent phosphorus chemistry much more extensively. We review the production of trivalent phosphorus compounds by anaerobic organisms, including phosphine gas and an alkyl phosphine, phospholane. We suggest that the failure to find more such compounds in modern terrestrial life may be a result of the strong bias of the search for natural products toward aerobic organisms. We postulate that a more thorough identification of metabolites of the anaerobic biosphere could reveal many more trivalent phosphorus compounds. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our work for the origin and early evolution of life, and suggest that trivalent phosphorus compounds could be valuable markers for both extraterrestrial life and the Shadow Biosphere on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janusz Jurand Petkowski
- 2Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Clara Sousa-Silva
- 2Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Sara Seager
- 2Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 3Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 4Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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11
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Bains W, Petkowski JJ, Sousa-Silva C, Seager S. New environmental model for thermodynamic ecology of biological phosphine production. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 658:521-536. [PMID: 30579209 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We present a new model for the biological production of phosphine (PH3). Phosphine is found globally, in trace amounts, in the Earth's atmosphere. It has been suggested as a key molecule in the phosphorus cycle, linking atmospheric, lithospheric and biological phosphorus chemistry. Phosphine's production is strongly associated with marshes, swamps and other sites of anaerobic biology. However the mechanism of phosphine's biological production has remained controversial, because it has been believed that reduction of phosphate to phosphine is endergonic. In this paper we show through thermodynamic calculations that, in specific environments, the combined action of phosphate reducing and phosphite disproportionating bacteria can produce phosphine. Phosphate-reducing bacteria can capture energy from the reduction of phosphate to phosphite through coupling phosphate reduction to NADH oxidation. Our hypothesis describes how the phosphate chemistry in an environmental niche is coupled to phosphite generation in ground water, which in turn is coupled to the phosphine production in water and atmosphere, driven by a specific microbial ecology. Our hypothesis provides clear predictions on specific complex environments where biological phosphine production could be widespread. We propose tests of our hypothesis in fieldwork.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Bains
- Rufus Scientific, 37 The Moor, Melbourn, Royston, Herts SG8 6ED, UK.
| | - Janusz J Petkowski
- Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Clara Sousa-Silva
- Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sara Seager
- Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Dept. of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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12
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Myllys N, Olenius T, Kurtén T, Vehkamäki H, Riipinen I, Elm J. Effect of Bisulfate, Ammonia, and Ammonium on the Clustering of Organic Acids and Sulfuric Acid. J Phys Chem A 2017; 121:4812-4824. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.7b03981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nanna Myllys
- Department
of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
| | - Tinja Olenius
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry & Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Theo Kurtén
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
| | - Hanna Vehkamäki
- Department
of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
| | - Ilona Riipinen
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry & Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Elm
- Department
of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
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