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Biogeochemistry of Ethanol and Acetaldehyde in Freshwater Sediments

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Abstract

This study reports the first ethanol and acetaldehyde measurements in sediment porewaters collected at multiple freshwater locations. Ethanol concentrations ranged from 11 to 2535 nM and acetaldehyde concentrations ranged from 6 to 320 nM. A significant positive correlation (p < 0.001) was observed between ethanol concentrations and the percent organic carbon content of sediments (TOC). Porewater depth profiles at two sites within the same lake indicated potential diffusion of ethanol into sediments from the overlying water at a lower TOC site and upwards diffusion from sediment into the water column at a higher TOC site. Diffusion of water column ethanol into sediments was observed at individual sites from October to January, whereas the opposite was true from June to August indicating the seasonal variability of ethanol flux from sediments. Changes in ethanol concentrations during a long-term sediment incubation experiment showed an inverse relation with acetaldehyde concentrations. The lack of a quantitative conversion was likely due to other sources and sinks that control their abundance. Our study provided new information on the biogeochemistry of ethanol in freshwater sediments and shed light on the potential role of ethanol in the global carbon cycle.

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Acknowledgments

The National Science Foundation Grants AGS 1003078, OCE 1154850, and OCE 0825538 provided funding for this work. The authors would also like to thank the many undergraduate and graduate students who contributed to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, 28403-5932, USA

    J. Alan Roebuck Jr., G. Brooks Avery, J. David Felix, Robert J. Kieber, Ralph N. Mead & Stephen A. Skrabal

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  1. J. Alan Roebuck Jr.
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  2. G. Brooks Avery
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  3. J. David Felix
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  4. Robert J. Kieber
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  5. Ralph N. Mead
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  6. Stephen A. Skrabal
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Correspondence to J. Alan Roebuck Jr..

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Roebuck, J.A., Avery, G.B., Felix, J.D. et al. Biogeochemistry of Ethanol and Acetaldehyde in Freshwater Sediments. Aquat Geochem 22, 177–195 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-015-9284-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-015-9284-9

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