Premium
Phototrophic Fe(II) oxidation in an atmosphere of H 2 : implications for Archean banded iron formations
Author(s) -
CROAL L. R.,
JIAO Y.,
KAPPLER A.,
NEWMAN D. K
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
geobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.859
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1472-4669
pISSN - 1472-4677
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2008.00185.x
Subject(s) - archean , phototroph , bicarbonate , atmosphere (unit) , hydrogen , chemistry , banded iron formation , carbonate , environmental chemistry , geochemistry , geology , photosynthesis , inorganic chemistry , mineralogy , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry , thermodynamics
The effect of hydrogen on the rate of phototrophic Fe(II) oxidation by two species of purple bacteria was measured at two different bicarbonate concentrations. Hydrogen slowed Fe(II) oxidation to varying degrees depending on the bicarbonate concentration, but even the slowest rate of Fe(II) oxidation remained on the same order of magnitude as that estimated to have been necessary to deposit the Hamersley banded iron formations. Given the hydrogen and bicarbonate concentrations inferred for the Archean, our data suggest that Fe(II) phototrophy could have been a viable process at this time.