Hydroxide decomposition of dimethylsulfoniopropionate to form dimethylsulfide

Journal Article · Mon Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1987 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i012p01246· OSTI ID:5548664

Dacey, J W.H.; Blough, N V

The kinetics of DMS production resulting from reaction of OH/sup -/ with DMSP were investigated as a function of hydroxide concentration and temperature. The reaction was first-order with respect to DMSP and OH/sup -/. The second order rate constant at 20+/-1 /sup 0/C is 0.0044 M/sup -1/ sec/sup -1/. The activation energy for this reaction is 14.4 kcal mole/sup -1/. Our investigation indicates that the rate of reaction of DMSP with OH/sup -/ is very slow at the pH of seawater (half-life of about 8 years at 10 /sup 0/C), suggesting that DMSP, which may be a major precursor of DMS in seawater, decomposes in the ocean by other mechanisms. We have cultured a bacterium which produces DMS from DMSP quantitatively at rate many order of magnitude higher than indicated by OH/sup -1/ decomposition, suggesting that enzymatic processes accelerate the production of DMS from DMSP in seawater.

• Research Organization: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• OSTI ID: 5548664
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 14:12; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENZYME ACTIVITY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXYL RADICALS
KINETICS
MICROORGANISMS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PLANKTON
PROPIONIC ACID
RADICALS
REACTION KINETICS
SEAWATER
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WATER
YIELDS
ZOOPLANKTON