A thiosulfate shunt in the sulfur cycle of marine sediments
Description
The oxidation of sulfide, generated by bacterial sulfate reduction, is a key process in the biogeochemistry of marine sediments, yet the pathways and oxidants are poorly known. By the use of 35S-tracer studies of the S cycle in marine and freshwater sediments, a novel shunt function of thiosulfate (S2O32-) was identified. The S2O32- constituted 68 to 78% of the immediate HS--oxidation products and was concurrently reduced back to HS-, oxidized to SO42-, and disproportionated to HS- + SO42-. The small thiosulfate pool is thus involved in a dynamic HS--S2O32- cycle in anoxic sediments. The disproportionation of thiosulfate may help account for the large difference in isotopic composition of sulfate and sulfides in sediments and sedimentary rocks
Additional details
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Science (Washington, D.C.)
- Journal Volume
- 249
- Journal Issue
- 4965
- Series
- Science (Washington, D.C.).
- Journal Page Range
- 152-154
- ISSN
- 0036-8075
- CODEN
- SCIEA
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- United States
- INIS RN
- 22022843
- Subject category
- S61: RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; S58: GEOSCIENCES;
- Descriptors DEI
- ANOXIA; BACTERIA; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; FRESH WATER; OXIDATION; REDUCTION; SEAS; SEDIMENTS; SULFATES; SULFIDES; SULFUR 35; THIOSULFATES; TRACER TECHNIQUES; WATER CHEMISTRY
- Descriptors DEC
- BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; GEOCHEMISTRY; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MICROORGANISMS; NUCLEI; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIOISOTOPES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; SULFUR ISOTOPES; SURFACE WATERS; WATER; WATER TREATMENT