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Carbonyl sulfide hydrolysis as a source of hydrogen sulfide in open ocean seawater
Author(s) -
Elliott Scott,
Lu Eric,
Rowland F. Sherwood
Publication year - 1987
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/gl014i002p00131
Subject(s) - seawater , sulfide , hydrogen sulfide , sulfur , supersaturation , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , carbonyl sulfide , hydrolysis , environmental chemistry , aqueous solution , geology , organic chemistry , oceanography
Two independent lines of evidence suggest that the hydrogen sulfides (H 2 S, SH − , S 2− ) are present in open surface seawater at pico to nanomolar levels. 1) Such concentrations are calculated for a chemical steady state involving carbonyl sulfide hydrolysis as source, followed by oxidative removal. 2) Although it is not yet certain that measurements of gaseous H 2 S over the open ocean are reliable, they require aqueous sulfide concentrations in this range in order to support sea‐to‐air flux. If pico to nanomolar of the hydrogen sulfides are included in standard equilibrium models of seawater complexation chemistry, several trace metals speciate predominantly as sulfide complexes and are supersaturated with respect to their solid sulfides. This supersaturation argues for solubilization of the metals through other unexpected complexes, perhaps involving reduced sulfur ligands associated with dissolved organics, or even intermediates along the hydrogen sulfide oxidation chain.