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Volatile halocarbon emissions by three tropical brown seaweeds under different irradiances

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Abstract

The emission rates of eight volatile halogenated compounds by three tropical brown seaweed species collected from Cape Rachado, west coast Peninsular Malaysia, under different irradiances have been determined. A purge-and-trap sample preparation system with a gas chromatograph and mass-selective detector was used to measure a suite of halocarbons released by Sargassum binderi Sonder ex J. Agardh, Padina australis Hauck, and Turbinaria conoides (J. Agardh) Kützing. All species are widely distributed in Peninsular Malaysia, with S. binderi a dominant seaweed species at our survey site. Release of few halocarbons was found to be influenced by irradiance. Correlations were also observed between emission of certain halocarbons with photosynthetic activity, especially bromo-and iodinated compounds (0.6 < r <0.9; p < 0.01) suggesting that environmental factors such as light can affect the release of these volatile halogenated compounds by the seaweeds into the atmosphere. Compared with temperate and polar brown seaweeds, tropical species, such as T. conoides, may emit higher levels of bromoform, CHBr3, and other halocarbons. It is therefore important to investigate the contribution of tropical seaweeds towards the local atmospheric composition of halocarbons.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Universiti Malaya Research Grant (RG043/09SUS), Universiti Malaya Postgraduate Research Grant (PS 255/2009B and PS 302/2010B) and the FRGS Grant No. FP018-2012A. FSLK thanks the Institute of Research Management and Monitoring (IPPP), Universiti Malaya and the University of East Anglia for equipment support. Acknowledgements are also due to Li Lee Chew and Chong Ving Ching for their help with the statistical analysis, Jebri Sulaiman and Syed Azminnudin Syed Azizudin for their assistance throughout the sampling period.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Fiona Seh-Lin Keng & Siew-Moi Phang

  2. Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Fiona Seh-Lin Keng & Siew-Moi Phang

  3. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Noorsaadah Abd Rahman

  4. School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, England, UK

    Emma C. Leedham & William T. Sturges

  5. Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, England, UK

    Claire Hughes

  6. Centre for Atmospheric Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, England, UK

    Andrew D. Robinson, Neil R. P. Harris & John A. Pyle

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  1. Fiona Seh-Lin Keng
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  2. Siew-Moi Phang
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Correspondence to Siew-Moi Phang.

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Keng, F.SL., Phang, SM., Rahman, N.A. et al. Volatile halocarbon emissions by three tropical brown seaweeds under different irradiances. J Appl Phycol 25, 1377–1386 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-013-9990-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-013-9990-x

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