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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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Tino CJ, Stüeken EE, Arp G, Böttcher ME, Bates SM, Lyons TW. Are Large Sulfur Isotope Variations Biosignatures in an Ancient, Impact-Induced Hydrothermal Mars Analog? ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:1027-1044. [PMID: 37498995 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Discrepancies have emerged concerning the application of sulfur stable isotope ratios as a biosignature in impact crater paleolakes. The first in situ δ34S data from Mars at Gale crater display a ∼75‰ range that has been attributed to an abiotic mechanism. Yet biogeochemical studies of ancient environments on Earth generally interpret δ34S fractionations >21‰ as indicative of a biological origin, and studies of δ34S at analog impact crater lakes on Earth have followed the same approach. We performed analyses (including δ34S, total organic carbon wt%, and scanning electron microscope imaging) on multiple lithologies from the Nördlinger Ries impact crater, focusing on hydrothermally altered impact breccias and associated sedimentary lake-fill sequences to determine whether the δ34S properties define a biosignature. The differences in δ34S between the host lithologies may have resulted from thermochemical sulfate reduction, microbial sulfate reduction, hydrothermal equilibrium fractionation, or any combination thereof. Despite abundant samples and instrumental precision currently exclusive to Earth-bound analyses, assertions of biogenicity from δ34S variations >21‰ at the Miocene Ries impact crater are tenuous. This discourages the use of δ34S as a biosignature in similar environments without independent checks that include the full geologic, biogeochemical, and textural context, as well as a comprehensive acknowledgment of alternative hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Tino
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Gernot Arp
- Geowissenschaftliches Zentrum, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Ernst Böttcher
- Geochemistry & Isotope Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (IOW), Warnemünde, Germany
- Marine Geochemistry, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Maritime Systems, Interdisciplinary Faculty (INF), University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Steven M Bates
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Timothy W Lyons
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
- Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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3
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Runge EA, Mansor M, Kappler A, Duda JP. Microbial biosignatures in ancient deep-sea hydrothermal sulfides. GEOBIOLOGY 2023; 21:355-377. [PMID: 36524457 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Deep-sea hydrothermal systems provide ideal conditions for prebiotic reactions and ancient metabolic pathways and, therefore, might have played a pivotal role in the emergence of life. To understand this role better, it is paramount to examine fundamental interactions between hydrothermal processes, non-living matter, and microbial life in deep time. However, the distribution and diversity of microbial communities in ancient deep-sea hydrothermal systems are still poorly constrained, so evolutionary, and ecological relationships remain unclear. One important reason is an insufficient understanding of the formation of diagnostic microbial biosignatures in such settings and their preservation through geological time. This contribution centers around microbial biosignatures in Precambrian deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide deposits. Intending to provide a valuable resource for scientists from across the natural sciences whose research is concerned with the origins of life, we first introduce different types of biosignatures that can be preserved over geological timescales (rock fabrics and textures, microfossils, mineral precipitates, carbonaceous matter, trace metal, and isotope geochemical signatures). We then review selected reports of biosignatures from Precambrian deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide deposits and discuss their geobiological significance. Our survey highlights that Precambrian hydrothermal sulfide deposits potentially encode valuable information on environmental conditions, the presence and nature of microbial life, and the complex interactions between fluids, micro-organisms, and minerals. It further emphasizes that the geobiological interpretation of these records is challenging and requires the concerted application of analytical and experimental methods from various fields, including geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, and microbiology. Well-orchestrated multidisciplinary studies allow us to understand the formation and preservation of microbial biosignatures in deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide systems and thus help unravel the fundamental geobiology of ancient settings. This, in turn, is critical for reconstructing life's emergence and early evolution on Earth and the search for life elsewhere in the universe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Alexander Runge
- Sedimentology and Organic Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Muammar Mansor
- Geomicrobiology, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Kappler
- Geomicrobiology, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124, Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan-Peter Duda
- Sedimentology and Organic Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
- Geobiology, Geoscience Center, Göttingen University, Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Grosch EG, McLoughlin N, Whitehouse M. Multiple sulphur isotope record of Paleoarchean sedimentary rocks across the Onverwacht Group, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa. GEOBIOLOGY 2023; 21:153-167. [PMID: 36571166 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study presents multiple sulphur isotope (32 S, 33 S, 34 S, 36 S) data on pyrites from silicified volcano-sedimentary rocks of the Paleoarchean Onverwacht Group of the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa. These rocks include seafloor cherts and felsic conglomerates that were deposited in shallow marine environments preserving a record of atmospheric and biogeochemical conditions on the early Earth. A strong variation in mass independent sulphur isotope fractionation (MIF-S) anomalies is found in the cherts, with Δ33 S ranging between -0.26‰ and 3.42‰. We explore possible depositional and preservational factors that could explain some of this variation seen in MIF-S. Evidence for microbial activity is recorded by the c. 3.45 Ga Hooggenoeg Formation Chert (HC4) preserving a contribution of microbial sulphate reduction (-Δ33 S and -δ34 S), and a c. 3.33 Ga Kromberg Formation Chert (KC5) recording a possible contribution of microbial elemental sulphur disproportionation (+Δ33 S and -δ34 S). Pyrites from a rhyo-dacitic conglomerate of the Noisy Formation do not plot along a previously proposed global Felsic Volcanic Array, and this excludes short-lived pulses of intense felsic volcanic gas emissions as the dominant control on Archean MIF-S. Rather, we suggest that the MIF-S signals measured reflect dilution during marine deposition, early diagenetic modification, and mixing with volcanic/hydrothermal S sources. Given the expanded stratigraphic interval (3.47-3.22 Ga) now sampled from across the Barberton Supergroup, we conclude that large MIF-S exceeding >4‰ is atypical of Paleoarchean near-surface environments on the Kaapvaal Craton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene G Grosch
- Geology Department, Rhodes University, Makhanda/Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Nicola McLoughlin
- Geology Department, Rhodes University, Makhanda/Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Martin Whitehouse
- NORDSIMS Laboratory, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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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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6
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Huang R, Tang Y, Luo L. Thermochemistry of sulfur during pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludges. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 121:276-285. [PMID: 33388650 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sulfur (S) is an abundant and redox-active element in urban wastewater systems and plays a critical role in both the wastewater and sludge treatment processes. This study comparatively characterized the transformation of S and several closely associated metals (Cu, Zn, and Fe) during pyrolysis (250 to 750 °C) and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC, 150 to 275 °C) treatments of sewage sludge. S, Fe, Zn, and Cu K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy was applied to quantitatively evaluate the fate of S and contribution of different S species in regulating metal speciation. During pyrolysis, aliphatic-S and sulfonate were preferentially degraded at low temperature (below 350 °C) and sulfate was thermochemically reduced at temperature above 450 °C, while metal sulfides (up to 27%) and thiophenes (up to 70%) were increasingly formed. Similar to the pyrolysis process, metal sulfides (up to 40% at temperature above 200 °C) and thiophenes were formed during HTC. The degradation of thiols and organic sulfide, as well as sulfate reduction, released sulfide and strongly affected metal speciation. For example, almost all Cu and half of Zn were transformed into Cu-Fe- or Zn-Fe-sulfides during HTC, whereas they were partially desulfidized during pyrolysis. High abundance of reduced S species (S-1 and S-2) in hydrochars may contribute to their strong reductive adsorption of Cr(VI). Results from this work reveal the thermochemical reactions driving the transformations of S and its associated metals during pyrolysis and HTC. The results provide fundamental knowledge for selecting thermochemical sludge treatment techniques for value-added applications of the products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rixiang Huang
- Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222, USA; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Yuanzhi Tang
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, GA 30324-0340, USA
| | - Lei Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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7
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McMahon S, Parnell J, Reekie PBR. Mars-Analog Calcium Sulfate Veins Record Evidence of Ancient Subsurface Life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:1212-1223. [PMID: 32985907 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2172] [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: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ancient veins of calcium sulfate minerals (anhydrite, bassanite, and gypsum) deposited by subsurface aqueous fluids crosscut fluviolacustrine sedimentary rocks at multiple localities on Mars. Although these veins have been considered an attractive target for astrobiological investigation, their potential to preserve biosignatures is poorly understood. Here, we report the presence of biogenic authigenic pyrite in a fibrous gypsum vein of probable Cenozoic emplacement age from Permian lacustrine rocks in Northwest England. Pyrite occurs at the vein margins and displays a complex interfingering boundary with the surrounding gypsum suggestive of replacive authigenic growth. Gypsum-entombed carbonaceous material of probable organic origin was also identified by Raman spectroscopic microscopy in close proximity to the pyrite. Spatially resolved ion microprobe (SIMS) measurements reveal that the pyrite sulfur isotope composition is consistently very light (δ34SVCDT = -30.7‰). Comparison with the sulfate in the vein gypsum (δ34SVCDT = +8.5‰) indicates a fractionation too large to be explained by nonbiological (thermochemical) sulfate reduction. We infer that the pyrite was precipitated by microorganisms coupling the reduction of vein-derived sulfate with the oxidation of wall-derived organic matter. This is the first evidence that such veins can incorporate biosignatures that remain stable over geological time, which could be detected in samples returned from Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- S McMahon
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- School of Geosciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J Parnell
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, UK
| | - P B R Reekie
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- School of Geosciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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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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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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Ren K, Pan X, Zeng J, Yuan D. Contaminant sources and processes affecting spring water quality in a typical karst basin (Hongjiadu Basin, SW China): insights provided by hydrochemical and isotopic data. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:31354-31367. [PMID: 31473924 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06272-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Springs are an important source of drinking water supply in mountainous karst areas of SW China. However, the quality of many spring waters has deteriorated greatly in recent years, which leads to a significant problem of drinking water scarcity. In this study, hydrochemistry and stable sulfur and oxygen isotopic compositions of SO42- (δ34S and δ18OSO4) of 38 representative samples of waters (incl. spring water, surface water, rainwater, and sewage) from the Hongjiadu Basin, Guizhou province, SW China, were investigated in order to identify the sources of contaminates in spring waters and trace the processes affecting the karst groundwater quality. Approximately 28% of the total investigated springs has been suffered from serious contamination and the concentrations of NO3-, SO42-, and total iron (TFe) in many spring waters have exceeded the standards for drinking water. The springs that have NO3- concentrations of > 30 mg/L are concentrated in residential and agricultural areas, suggesting that NO3- in spring water are mainly derived from chemical fertilizers, manure, and sewage. δ34S and δ18OSO4 data indicate that SO42- in spring water mainly originates from sulfide oxidation, acid rain, and sewage. Furthermore, the high δ34S and δ18OSO4 values of SO42- in some spring waters may be related to the occurrence of bacterial sulfate reduction. Some springs that are discharged from abandoned coal mines have SO42- concentrations of > 250 mg/L, demonstrating that mining activities have accelerated the deterioration of spring water quality. Also, springs with TFe concentrations of > 0.3 mg/L are discharged from coal-bearing strata, revealing that iron in spring waters is mainly derived from the oxidation of pyrite. Our results show that the karst spring waters are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic contaminations and human activities, such as agricultural fertilizing and sewage and waste disposal as well as mining activities, which exert a great impact on the quality of groundwater in karst areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Ren
- Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin, 541004, China
- Karst Dynamics Laboratory, Ministry of Natural Resources & Guangxi, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Xiaodong Pan
- Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin, 541004, China.
- Karst Dynamics Laboratory, Ministry of Natural Resources & Guangxi, Guilin, 541004, China.
| | - Jie Zeng
- Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin, 541004, China
- Karst Dynamics Laboratory, Ministry of Natural Resources & Guangxi, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Daoxian Yuan
- Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin, 541004, China
- Karst Dynamics Laboratory, Ministry of Natural Resources & Guangxi, Guilin, 541004, China
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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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12
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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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14
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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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Five-S-isotope evidence of two distinct mass-independent sulfur isotope effects and implications for the modern and Archean atmospheres. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:8541-8546. [PMID: 30082380 PMCID: PMC6112696 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1803420115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Anomalous sulfur isotopic compositions preserved in sedimentary rocks older than ∼2.5 billion years have been widely interpreted as the products of UV photolysis of sulfur dioxide in an anoxic atmosphere and used to track the history of primitive Earth and evolution of early life. In this study, we present strong observational evidence that there is an additional process that produces similar anomalous sulfur isotope signatures. This previously unknown origin not only offers a tool for quantifying the present-day atmospheric sulfur budget and evaluating its influences on climate and public health but also implies that anomalous sulfur isotopic compositions in some of the oldest rocks on Earth might have been produced in a way different from that previously thought. The signature of mass-independent fractionation of quadruple sulfur stable isotopes (S-MIF) in Archean rocks, ice cores, and Martian meteorites provides a unique probe of the oxygen and sulfur cycles in the terrestrial and Martian paleoatmospheres. Its mechanistic origin, however, contains some uncertainties. Even for the modern atmosphere, the primary mechanism responsible for the S-MIF observed in nearly all tropospheric sulfates has not been identified. Here we present high-sensitivity measurements of a fifth sulfur isotope, stratospherically produced radiosulfur, along with all four stable sulfur isotopes in the same sulfate aerosols and a suite of chemical species to define sources and mechanisms on a field observational basis. The five-sulfur-isotope and multiple chemical species analysis approach provides strong evidence that S-MIF signatures in tropospheric sulfates are concomitantly affected by two distinct processes: an altitude-dependent positive 33S anomaly, likely linked to stratospheric SO2 photolysis, and a negative 36S anomaly mainly associated with combustion. Our quadruple stable sulfur isotopic measurements in varying coal samples (formed in the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic periods) and in SO2 emitted from combustion display normal 33S and 36S, indicating that the observed negative 36S anomalies originate from a previously unknown S-MIF mechanism during combustion (likely recombination reactions) instead of coal itself. The basic chemical physics of S-MIF in both photolytic and thermal reactions and their interplay, which were not explored together in the past, may be another ingredient for providing deeper understanding of the evolution of Earth’s atmosphere and life’s origin.
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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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Marin-Carbonne J, Remusat L, Sforna MC, Thomazo C, Cartigny P, Philippot P. Sulfur isotope's signal of nanopyrites enclosed in 2.7 Ga stromatolitic organic remains reveal microbial sulfate reduction. GEOBIOLOGY 2018; 16:121-138. [PMID: 29380506 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial sulfate reduction (MSR) is thought to have operated very early on Earth and is often invoked to explain the occurrence of sedimentary sulfides in the rock record. Sedimentary sulfides can also form from sulfides produced abiotically during late diagenesis or metamorphism. As both biotic and abiotic processes contribute to the bulk of sedimentary sulfides, tracing back the original microbial signature from the earliest Earth record is challenging. We present in situ sulfur isotope data from nanopyrites occurring in carbonaceous remains lining the domical shape of stromatolite knobs of the 2.7-Gyr-old Tumbiana Formation (Western Australia). The analyzed nanopyrites show a large range of δ34 S values of about 84‰ (from -33.7‰ to +50.4‰). The recognition that a large δ34 S range of 80‰ is found in individual carbonaceous-rich layers support the interpretation that the nanopyrites were formed in microbial mats through MSR by a Rayleigh distillation process during early diagenesis. An active microbial cycling of sulfur during formation of the stromatolite may have facilitated the mixing of different sulfur pools (atmospheric and hydrothermal) and explain the weak mass independent signature (MIF-S) recorded in the Tumbiana Formation. These results confirm that MSR participated actively to the biogeochemical cycling of sulfur during the Neoarchean and support previous models suggesting anaerobic oxidation of methane using sulfate in the Tumbiana environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Marin-Carbonne
- Institut de Physique du Globe - Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris Cedex 05, France
- Univ Lyon- UJM St Etienne, Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, UCA, CNRS, IRD, UMR 6524, Saint Etienne, France
| | - L Remusat
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux, et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), UPMC, UMR CNRS 7590, UMR IRD 206, Sorbonne Universités - Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - M C Sforna
- Institut de Physique du Globe - Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris Cedex 05, France
- Department of Geology, Palaeobiogeology-Palaeobotany-Palaeopalynology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - C Thomazo
- UMR CNRS/uB6282 Biogéosciences, UFR Sciences Vie Terre Environnement Université de Bourgogne Franche Comté, Dijon, France
| | - P Cartigny
- Institut de Physique du Globe - Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - P Philippot
- Institut de Physique du Globe - Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris Cedex 05, France
- Géosciences Montpellier, CNRS-UMR 5243, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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Mansor M, Harouaka K, Gonzales MS, Macalady JL, Fantle MS. Transport-Induced Spatial Patterns of Sulfur Isotopes (δ 34S) as Biosignatures. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:59-72. [PMID: 29227145 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Cave minerals deposited in the presence of microbes may host geochemical biosignatures that can be utilized to detect subsurface life on Earth, Mars, or other habitable worlds. The sulfur isotopic composition of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) formed in the presence of sulfur-oxidizing microbes in the Frasassi cave system, Italy, was evaluated as a biosignature. Sulfur isotopic compositions (δ34SV-CDT) of gypsum sampled from cave rooms with sulfidic air varied from -11 to -24‰, with minor deposits of elemental sulfur having δ34S values between -17 and -19‰. Over centimeter-length scales, the δ34S values of gypsum varied by up to 8.5‰. Complementary laboratory experiments showed negligible fractionation during the oxidation of elemental sulfur to sulfate by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans isolated from the caves. Additionally, gypsum precipitated in the presence and absence of microbes at acidic pH characteristic of the sulfidic cave walls has δ34S values that are on average 1‰ higher than sulfate. We therefore interpret the 8.5‰ variation in cave gypsum δ34S (toward more negative values) to reflect the isotopic effect of microbial sulfide oxidation directly to sulfate or via elemental sulfur intermediate. This range is similar to that expected by abiotic sulfide oxidation with oxygen, thus complicating the use of sulfur isotopes as a biosignature at centimeter-length scales. However, at the cave room (meter-length) scale, reactive transport modeling suggests that the overall ∼13‰ variability in gypsum δ34S reflects isotopic distillation of circulating H2S gas due to microbial sulfide oxidation occurring along the cave wall-atmosphere interface. Systematic variations of gypsum δ34S along gas flow paths can thus be interpreted as biogenic given that slow, abiotic oxidation cannot produce the same spatial patterns over similar length scales. The expression and preservation potential of this biosignature is dependent on gas flow parameters and diagenetic processes that modify gypsum δ34S values over geological timescales. Key Words: Gypsum-Sulfur isotopes-Biosignature-Sulfide oxidation-Cave. Astrobiology 18, 59-72.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muammar Mansor
- 1 Geosciences Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania
- 2 Current address: Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | - Khadouja Harouaka
- 1 Geosciences Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania
- 3 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas
| | - Matthew S Gonzales
- 1 Geosciences Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania
| | - Jennifer L Macalady
- 1 Geosciences Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania
| | - Matthew S Fantle
- 1 Geosciences Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania
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Williford KH, Ushikubo T, Lepot K, Kitajima K, Hallmann C, Spicuzza MJ, Kozdon R, Eigenbrode JL, Summons RE, Valley JW. Carbon and sulfur isotopic signatures of ancient life and environment at the microbial scale: Neoarchean shales and carbonates. GEOBIOLOGY 2016; 14:105-28. [PMID: 26498593 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
An approach to coordinated, spatially resolved, in situ carbon isotope analysis of organic matter and carbonate minerals, and sulfur three- and four-isotope analysis of pyrite with an unprecedented combination of spatial resolution, precision, and accuracy is described. Organic matter and pyrite from eleven rock samples of Neoarchean drill core express nearly the entire range of δ(13) C, δ(34) S, Δ(33) S, and Δ(36) S known from the geologic record, commonly in correlation with morphology, mineralogy, and elemental composition. A new analytical approach (including a set of organic calibration standards) to account for a strong correlation between H/C and instrumental bias in SIMS δ(13) C measurement of organic matter is identified. Small (2-3 μm) organic domains in carbonate matrices are analyzed with sub-permil accuracy and precision. Separate 20- to 50-μm domains of kerogen in a single ~0.5 cm(3) sample of the ~2.7 Ga Tumbiana Formation have δ(13) C = -52.3 ± 0.1‰ and -34.4 ± 0.1‰, likely preserving distinct signatures of methanotrophy and photoautotrophy. Pyrobitumen in the ~2.6 Ga Jeerinah Formation and the ~2.5 Ga Mount McRae Shale is systematically (13) C-enriched relative to co-occurring kerogen, and associations with uraniferous mineral grains suggest radiolytic alteration. A large range in sulfur isotopic compositions (including higher Δ(33) S and more extreme spatial gradients in Δ(33) S and Δ(36) S than any previously reported) are observed in correlation with morphology and associated mineralogy. Changing systematics of δ(34) S, Δ(33) S, and Δ(36) S, previously investigated at the millimeter to centimeter scale using bulk analysis, are shown to occur at the micrometer scale of individual pyrite grains. These results support the emerging view that the dampened signature of mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation (S-MIF) associated with the Mesoarchean continued into the early Neoarchean, and that the connections between methane and sulfur metabolism affected the production and preservation of S-MIF during the first half of the planet's history.
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Affiliation(s)
- K H Williford
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - T Ushikubo
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - K Lepot
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - K Kitajima
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - C Hallmann
- Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - M J Spicuzza
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - R Kozdon
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - J L Eigenbrode
- Planetary Environments Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - R E Summons
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - J W Valley
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
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Li MD, Wang YX, Li P, Deng YM, Xie XJ. δ34S and δ18O of dissolved sulfate as biotic tracer of biogeochemical influences on arsenic mobilization in groundwater in the Hetao Plain, Inner Mongolia, China. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2014; 23:1958-1968. [PMID: 25149868 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-014-1310-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Environmental isotopology of sulfur and oxygen of dissolved sulfate in groundwater was conducted in the Hetao Plain, northwestern China, aiming to better understand the processes controlling arsenic mobilization in arsenic-rich aqueous systems. A total of 22 groundwater samples were collected from domestic wells in the Hetao Plain. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 11.0 to 388 μg/L. The δ(34)S-SO4 and δ(18)O-SO4 values of dissolved sulfate covered a range from +1.48 to +22.4‰ and +8.17‰ to +14.8‰ in groundwater, respectively. The wide range of δ(34)S-SO4 values reflected either an input of different sources of sulfate, such as gypsum dissolution and fertilizer application, or a modification from biogeochemical process of bacterial sulfate reduction. The positive correlation between δ(34)S-SO4 and arsenic concentrations suggested that bacteria mediated processes played an important role in the mobilization of arsenic. The δ(18)O-SO4 values correlated non-linearly with δ(34)S-SO4, but within a relatively narrow range (+8.17 to +14.8‰), implying that complexities inherent in the sulfate-oxygen (O-SO4(2-)) origins, for instance, water-derived oxygen (O-H2O), molecular oxygen (O-O2) and isotope exchanging with dissolved oxides, are accounted for oxygen isotope composition of dissolved sulfate in groundwater in the Hetao Plain.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Li
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, 430074, China
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Fischer WW, Fike DA, Johnson JE, Raub TD, Guan Y, Kirschvink JL, Eiler JM. SQUID-SIMS is a useful approach to uncover primary signals in the Archean sulfur cycle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:5468-73. [PMID: 24706767 PMCID: PMC3992679 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1322577111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many aspects of Earth's early sulfur cycle, from the origin of mass-anomalous fractionations to the degree of biological participation, remain poorly understood--in part due to complications from postdepositional diagenetic and metamorphic processes. Using a combination of scanning high-resolution magnetic superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) of sulfur isotopes ((32)S, (33)S, and (34)S), we examined drill core samples from slope and basinal environments adjacent to a major Late Archean (∼2.6-2.5 Ga) marine carbonate platform from South Africa. Coupled with petrography, these techniques can untangle the complex history of mineralization in samples containing diverse sulfur-bearing phases. We focused on pyrite nodules, precipitated in shallow sediments. These textures record systematic spatial differences in both mass-dependent and mass-anomalous sulfur-isotopic composition over length scales of even a few hundred microns. Petrography and magnetic imaging demonstrate that mass-anomalous fractionations were acquired before burial and compaction, but also show evidence of postdepositional alteration 500 million y after deposition. Using magnetic imaging to screen for primary phases, we observed large spatial gradients in Δ(33)S (>4‰) in nodules, pointing to substantial environmental heterogeneity and dynamic mixing of sulfur pools on geologically rapid timescales. In other nodules, large systematic radial δ(34)S gradients (>20‰) were observed, from low values near their centers increasing to high values near their rims. These fractionations support hypotheses that microbial sulfate reduction was an important metabolism in organic-rich Archean environments--even in an Archean ocean basin dominated by iron chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woodward W. Fischer
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - David A. Fike
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130; and
| | - Jena E. Johnson
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Timothy D. Raub
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9AL, United Kingdom
| | - Yunbin Guan
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Joseph L. Kirschvink
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - John M. Eiler
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
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Kamyshny A, Druschel G, Mansaray ZF, Farquhar J. Multiple sulfur isotopes fractionations associated with abiotic sulfur transformations in Yellowstone National Park geothermal springs. GEOCHEMICAL TRANSACTIONS 2014; 15:7. [PMID: 24959098 PMCID: PMC4055273 DOI: 10.1186/1467-4866-15-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The paper presents a quantification of main (hydrogen sulfide and sulfate), as well as of intermediate sulfur species (zero-valent sulfur (ZVS), thiosulfate, sulfite, thiocyanate) in the Yellowstone National Park (YNP) hydrothermal springs and pools. We combined these measurements with the measurements of quadruple sulfur isotope composition of sulfate, hydrogen sulfide and zero-valent sulfur. The main goal of this research is to understand multiple sulfur isotope fractionation in the system, which is dominated by complex, mostly abiotic, sulfur cycling. RESULTS Water samples from six springs and pools in the Yellowstone National Park were characterized by pH, chloride to sulfate ratios, sulfide and intermediate sulfur species concentrations. Concentrations of sulfate in pools indicate either oxidation of sulfide by mixing of deep parent water with shallow oxic water, or surface oxidation of sulfide with atmospheric oxygen. Thiosulfate concentrations are low (<6 μmol L(-1)) in the pools with low pH due to fast disproportionation of thiosulfate. In the pools with higher pH, the concentration of thiosulfate varies, depending on different geochemical pathways of thiosulfate formation. The δ(34)S values of sulfate in four systems were close to those calculated using a mixing line of the model based on dilution and boiling of a deep hot parent water body. In two pools δ(34)S values of sulfate varied significantly from the values calculated from this model. Sulfur isotope fractionation between ZVS and hydrogen sulfide was close to zero at pH < 4. At higher pH zero-valent sulfur is slightly heavier than hydrogen sulfide due to equilibration in the rhombic sulfur-polysulfide - hydrogen sulfide system. Triple sulfur isotope ((32)S, (33)S, (34)S) fractionation patterns in waters of hydrothermal pools are more consistent with redox processes involving intermediate sulfur species than with bacterial sulfate reduction. Small but resolved differences in ∆(33)S among species and between pools are observed. CONCLUSIONS The variation of sulfate isotopic composition, the origin of differences in isotopic composition of sulfide and zero-valent sulfur, as well as differences in ∆(33)S of sulfide and sulfate are likely due to a complex network of abiotic redox reactions, including disproportionation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Kamyshny
- Department of Geology and Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Department of Biogeochemistry, Celsiusstrasse 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany
- Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, The Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Gregory Druschel
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Zahra F Mansaray
- Department of Geology and Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - James Farquhar
- Department of Geology and Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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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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Sulfur isotopes of organic matter preserved in 3.45-billion-year-old stromatolites reveal microbial metabolism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:15146-51. [PMID: 22949693 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1207491109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The 3.45-billion-year-old Strelley Pool Formation of Western Australia preserves stromatolites that are considered among the oldest evidence for life on Earth. In places of exceptional preservation, these stromatolites contain laminae rich in organic carbon, interpreted as the fossil remains of ancient microbial mats. To better understand the biogeochemistry of these rocks, we performed microscale in situ sulfur isotope measurements of the preserved organic sulfur, including both Δ(33)S and . This approach allows us to tie physiological inference from isotope ratios directly to fossil biomass, providing a means to understand sulfur metabolism that is complimentary to, and independent from, inorganic proxies (e.g., pyrite). Δ(33)S values of the kerogen reveal mass-anomalous fractionations expected of the Archean sulfur cycle, whereas values show large fractionations at very small spatial scales, including values below -15‰. We interpret these isotopic patterns as recording the process of sulfurization of organic matter by H(2)S in heterogeneous mat pore-waters influenced by respiratory S metabolism. Positive Δ(33)S anomalies suggest that disproportionation of elemental sulfur would have been a prominent microbial process in these communities.
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Evidence of magnetic isotope effects during thermochemical sulfate reduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:17635-8. [PMID: 21997216 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1108112108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermochemical sulfate reduction experiments with simple amino acid and dilute concentrations of sulfate reveal significant degrees of mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation. Enrichments of up to 13‰ for (33)S are attributed to a magnetic isotope effect (MIE) associated with the formation of thiol-disulfide, ion-radical pairs. Observed (36)S depletions in products are explained here by classical (mass-dependent) isotope effects and mixing processes. The experimental data contrasts strongly with multiple sulfur isotope trends in Archean samples, which exhibit significant (36)S anomalies. These results support an origin other than thermochemical sulfate reduction for the mass-independent signals observed for early Earth samples.
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Farquhar J, Zerkle AL, Bekker A. Geological constraints on the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2011; 107:11-36. [PMID: 20882345 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-010-9594-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2009] [Accepted: 08/18/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
This article examines the geological evidence for the rise of atmospheric oxygen and the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis. The evidence for the rise of atmospheric oxygen places a minimum time constraint before which oxygenic photosynthesis must have developed, and was subsequently established as the primary control on the atmospheric oxygen level. The geological evidence places the global rise of atmospheric oxygen, termed the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), between ~2.45 and ~2.32 Ga, and it is captured within the Duitschland Formation, which shows a transition from mass-independent to mass-dependent sulfur isotope fractionation. The rise of atmospheric oxygen during this interval is closely associated with a number of environmental changes, such as glaciations and intense continental weathering, and led to dramatic changes in the oxidation state of the ocean and the seawater inventory of transition elements. There are other features of the geologic record predating the GOE by as much as 200-300 million years, perhaps extending as far back as the Mesoarchean-Neoarchean boundary at 2.8 Ga, that suggest the presence of low level, transient or local, oxygenation. If verified, these features would not only imply an earlier origin for oxygenic photosynthesis, but also require a mechanism to decouple oxygen production from oxidation of Earth's surface environments. Most hypotheses for the GOE suggest that oxygen production by oxygenic photosynthesis is a precondition for the rise of oxygen, but that a synchronous change in atmospheric oxygen level is not required by the onset of this oxygen source. The potential lag-time in the response of Earth surface environments is related to the way that oxygen sinks, such as reduced Fe and sulfur compounds, respond to oxygen production. Changes in oxygen level imply an imbalance in the sources and sinks for oxygen. Changes in the cycling of oxygen have occurred at various times before and after the GOE, and do not appear to require corresponding changes in the intensity of oxygenic photosynthesis. The available geological constraints for these changes do not, however, disallow a direct role for this metabolism. The geological evidence for early oxygen and hypotheses for the controls on oxygen level are the basis for the interpretation of photosynthetic oxygen production as examined in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Farquhar
- Department of Geology and ESSIC, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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