Kusch, Stephanie ORCID: 0000-0002-2708-4975, Benthien, Albert, Richter, Klaus-Uwe, Rost, Bjoern and Mollenhauer, Gesine ORCID: 0000-0001-5138-564X (2019). Dead in the Water: The Vicious Cycle of Blanks During Natural Level C-14 Manipulation of Marine Algal Cultures. Front. Mar. Sci., 6. LAUSANNE: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. ISSN 2296-7745

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Abstract

Authentic biomarker standards were obtained from algal cultures in an attempt to accurately determine blank C added during sample processing for compound-specific radiocarbon analysis. Emiliania huxleyi and Thalassiosira pseudonana were grown under manipulated Delta C- 14 dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) levels and chlorophyll a and either alkenones (E. huxleyi) or low molecular weight (LMW) alkanoic acids (T pseudonana) were isolated from the respective biomass using preparative liquid chromatography (LC), wet chemical techniques or preparative gas chromatography, respectively. (DIC)-C- 14 in the seawater medium was determined pre- and post-growth. Biomarker Delta C- 14 values mostly agree within 1 sigma or 2 sigma analytical uncertainties. In those cases where biomarker Delta C- 14 values differ significantly, chlorophyll a is up to 104% more C-14-depleted than alkenones or LMW alkanoic acids, consistent with a larger LC blank compared to the other purification methods. However, in the majority of experimental setups pre- and post-growth DIC Delta C-14 values seem to be compromised by an unknown and variable blank C contribution. DIC Delta C-14 values deviate strongly from the anticipated Delta C- 14 values (by up to ca. 560 parts per thousand, pre- and post-growth Delta C- 14 values differ significantly (by up to ca. 460 parts per thousand, and changes are not unidirectional. Accordingly, since the substrate Delta C- 14 value cannot unequivocally be constrained, blank C contributions for the different biomarker purification methods cannot be accurately calculated. This study illustrates the challenges and problems of producing authentic standards that are not readily commercially available and exemplifies how a laborious and time-consuming culturing approach may enter a vicious cycle of blank C contamination hampering accurate blank C determination.

Item Type: Journal Article
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCIDORCID Put Code
Kusch, StephanieUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0002-2708-4975UNSPECIFIED
Benthien, AlbertUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Richter, Klaus-UweUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Rost, BjoernUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Mollenhauer, GesineUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0001-5138-564XUNSPECIFIED
URN: urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-124148
DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00780
Journal or Publication Title: Front. Mar. Sci.
Volume: 6
Date: 2019
Publisher: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
Place of Publication: LAUSANNE
ISSN: 2296-7745
Language: English
Faculty: Unspecified
Divisions: Unspecified
Subjects: no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:
KeywordsLanguage
ISOTOPE FRACTIONATION; CARBON ACQUISITION; RADIOCARBON; SEDIMENTS; RESPIRATION; ALKENONES; SAMPLES; GROWTH; AMS; CO2Multiple languages
Environmental Sciences; Marine & Freshwater BiologyMultiple languages
Refereed: Yes
URI: http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/12414

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