Possible Missing Sources of Atmospheric Glyoxal Part I: Phospholipid Oxidation from Marine Algae

Background: Glyoxal has been implicated as a significant contributor to the formation of secondary organic aerosols, which play a key role in our ability to estimate the impact of aerosols on climate. Elevated concentrations of glyoxal over remote ocean waters suggests that there is an additional so...

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Main Authors: Renee T. Williams, Annika Caspers-Brown, Camille M. Sultana, Christopher Lee, Jessica L. Axson, Francesca Malfatti, Yanyan Zhou, Kathryn A. Moore, Natalie Stevens, Mitchell V. Santander, Farooq Azam, Kimberly A. Prather, Robert S. Pomeroy
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Metabolites
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/11/639
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author Renee T. Williams
Annika Caspers-Brown
Camille M. Sultana
Christopher Lee
Jessica L. Axson
Francesca Malfatti
Yanyan Zhou
Kathryn A. Moore
Natalie Stevens
Mitchell V. Santander
Farooq Azam
Kimberly A. Prather
Robert S. Pomeroy
author_facet Renee T. Williams
Annika Caspers-Brown
Camille M. Sultana
Christopher Lee
Jessica L. Axson
Francesca Malfatti
Yanyan Zhou
Kathryn A. Moore
Natalie Stevens
Mitchell V. Santander
Farooq Azam
Kimberly A. Prather
Robert S. Pomeroy
author_sort Renee T. Williams
collection DOAJ
description Background: Glyoxal has been implicated as a significant contributor to the formation of secondary organic aerosols, which play a key role in our ability to estimate the impact of aerosols on climate. Elevated concentrations of glyoxal over remote ocean waters suggests that there is an additional source, distinct from urban and forest environments, which has yet to be identified. Herein, we demonstrate that the ocean can serve as an appreciable source of glyoxal in the atmosphere due to microbiological activity. Methods and Results: Based on mass spectrometric analyses of nascent sea spray aerosols and the sea surface microlayer (SSML) of naturally occurring algal blooms, we provide evidence that during the algae death phase phospholipids become enriched in the SSML and undergo autoxidation thereby generating glyoxal as a degradation product. Conclusions: We propose that the death phase of an algal bloom could serve as an important and currently missing source of glyoxal in the atmosphere.
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spelling doaj-art-d255ff6b73304c83be4aba7b99a5bd002025-08-20T02:05:06ZengMDPI AGMetabolites2218-19892024-11-01141163910.3390/metabo14110639Possible Missing Sources of Atmospheric Glyoxal Part I: Phospholipid Oxidation from Marine AlgaeRenee T. Williams0Annika Caspers-Brown1Camille M. Sultana2Christopher Lee3Jessica L. Axson4Francesca Malfatti5Yanyan Zhou6Kathryn A. Moore7Natalie Stevens8Mitchell V. Santander9Farooq Azam10Kimberly A. Prather11Robert S. Pomeroy12Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USANational Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics, 34100 Trieste, ItalyScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USASchool of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USABackground: Glyoxal has been implicated as a significant contributor to the formation of secondary organic aerosols, which play a key role in our ability to estimate the impact of aerosols on climate. Elevated concentrations of glyoxal over remote ocean waters suggests that there is an additional source, distinct from urban and forest environments, which has yet to be identified. Herein, we demonstrate that the ocean can serve as an appreciable source of glyoxal in the atmosphere due to microbiological activity. Methods and Results: Based on mass spectrometric analyses of nascent sea spray aerosols and the sea surface microlayer (SSML) of naturally occurring algal blooms, we provide evidence that during the algae death phase phospholipids become enriched in the SSML and undergo autoxidation thereby generating glyoxal as a degradation product. Conclusions: We propose that the death phase of an algal bloom could serve as an important and currently missing source of glyoxal in the atmosphere.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/11/639gas chromatography mass spectrometryliquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometrysolid phase extractionsea spray aerosolsfatty acidsvolatile organic compounds
spellingShingle Renee T. Williams
Annika Caspers-Brown
Camille M. Sultana
Christopher Lee
Jessica L. Axson
Francesca Malfatti
Yanyan Zhou
Kathryn A. Moore
Natalie Stevens
Mitchell V. Santander
Farooq Azam
Kimberly A. Prather
Robert S. Pomeroy
Possible Missing Sources of Atmospheric Glyoxal Part I: Phospholipid Oxidation from Marine Algae
Metabolites
gas chromatography mass spectrometry
liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
solid phase extraction
sea spray aerosols
fatty acids
volatile organic compounds
title Possible Missing Sources of Atmospheric Glyoxal Part I: Phospholipid Oxidation from Marine Algae
title_full Possible Missing Sources of Atmospheric Glyoxal Part I: Phospholipid Oxidation from Marine Algae
title_fullStr Possible Missing Sources of Atmospheric Glyoxal Part I: Phospholipid Oxidation from Marine Algae
title_full_unstemmed Possible Missing Sources of Atmospheric Glyoxal Part I: Phospholipid Oxidation from Marine Algae
title_short Possible Missing Sources of Atmospheric Glyoxal Part I: Phospholipid Oxidation from Marine Algae
title_sort possible missing sources of atmospheric glyoxal part i phospholipid oxidation from marine algae
topic gas chromatography mass spectrometry
liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
solid phase extraction
sea spray aerosols
fatty acids
volatile organic compounds
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/11/639
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