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Evidence for significant photochemical production of carbon monoxide by particles in coastal and oligotrophic marine waters
Author(s) -
Xie Huixiang,
Zafiriou Oliver C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2009gl041158
Subject(s) - colored dissolved organic matter , particulates , seawater , biogeochemical cycle , environmental chemistry , dissolved organic carbon , environmental science , carbon monoxide , photic zone , oceanography , chemistry , phytoplankton , geology , biochemistry , catalysis , organic chemistry , nutrient
Carbon monoxide (CO) photoproduction from particulate and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) was determined in seawater from open‐ocean and coastal areas. In confirmatory tests, poisoned or non‐poisoned filtered and unfiltered blue‐water samples, were exposed to sunlight. CO photoproduction was 21–42% higher in the unfiltered than in the filtered samples. In a more thorough study utilizing concentrated particles prepared by 0.2‐ μ m cross‐flow filtration, samples containing varying levels of particles were irradiated under simulated solar radiation. Their CO photoproduction rates increased linearly with particle concentration factor. Particulate CO production was 11–35% of CDOM‐based CO production. On an absorbed‐photons basis, the former was 30–108% more efficient than the latter. This study suggests that in both coastal and blue waters these new‐found particulate photoprocesses are of similar biogeochemical importance to the well‐known CDOM photoproduction term.