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Reexamination of the fractionation of total dissolved phosphorus in seawater using a modified UV-irradiation procedure, and its application to samples from Suruga Bay and Antarctic Ocean

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Abstract

Application of a modified UV-irradiation procedure to the fractionation of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) in seawater was examined. By using a peristaltic pump, a sample solution was passed through a quartz column which was coiled around the three Hg-lamps and thus consistently exposed to a controlled UV-irradiation flux. The UV-flux was much lower than that historically employed to hydrolyze total dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP). Before and after the UV-irradiation, colorimetric measurements of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) were made by the method of Murphy and Riley (1962) to determine the liberation rate of orthophosphate from P-compounds in the sample. Experiments using 19 different P-compounds indicated that organic phosphate-esters containing only monomers of phosphate were readily decomposed by a 20-minute UV-irradiation period. Release of SRP from organic polyphosphates was minimal. The P released by this procedure is operationally referred to as “UV-P”. The procedure described herein was employed for fractionation of TDP in seawater. These studies defined several classes of dissolved P: (1) PO4−P(inorganic phosphate-P), (2) UV-P (Photodecomposable organic-P, most of which consists of organic monophosphate-P), and (3) Org-Poly-P (organic polyphosphate-P). Vertical profiles of DOP and UV-P observed in the oligotrophic regions of Suruga Bay and Antarctic Ocean indicated that UV-P was a major part of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) in euphotic layers, where inorganic nutrients were probably limiting the active growth of phytoplankton. It is probable that UV-P can be utilized as a source of nutrient-P, in place of PO4−P.

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Author notes

  1. Katsumi Yanagi

    Present address: College of Liberal Arts, Kyushu Sangyo University, Matsuka-dai 2-3-1, Higashi-ku, H13, Fukuoka, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sagami Chemical Research Center, Nishiohnuma 4-4-1 Sagamihara, 229, Kanagawa, Japan

    Katsumi Yanagi & Masayoshi Yasuda

  2. Planning and Coordination Department, Shimizu City, 6-8 Asahi-cho, 424, Shimizu, Shizuoka, Japan

    Fukashi Fukui

Authors
  1. Katsumi Yanagi
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  2. Masayoshi Yasuda
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  3. Fukashi Fukui
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Yanagi, K., Yasuda, M. & Fukui, F. Reexamination of the fractionation of total dissolved phosphorus in seawater using a modified UV-irradiation procedure, and its application to samples from Suruga Bay and Antarctic Ocean. J Oceanogr 48, 267–281 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233987

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233987

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