title: Detection of geothermal phosphite using high-performance liquid chromatography.
abstract: Little is known about the prebiotic mechanisms that initiated the bioavailability of phosphorus, an element essential to life. A better understanding of phosphorus speciation in modern earth environments representative of early earth may help to elucidate the origins of bioavailable phosphorus. This paper presents the first quantitative measurements of phosphite in a pristine geothermal pool representative of early earth. Phosphite and phosphate were initially identified and quantified in geothermal pool and stream samples at Hot Creek Gorge near Mammoth Lakes, California, using suppressed conductivity ion chromatography. Results confirmed the presence of 0.06 +/- 0.02 microM of phosphite and 0.05 +/- 0.01 microM of phosphate in a geothermal pool. In the stream, phosphite concentrations were below detection limit (0.04 microM) and phosphate was measured at 1.06 +/- 0.36 microM. The presence of phosphite in the geothermal pool was confirmed using both chemical oxidation and ion chromatography/mass spectrometry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles, California 90032, USA.
authors.forename: Herbe
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pech
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Crist S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Khachikian
authors.forename: Tina M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Salmassi
authors.forename: Grady
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hanrahan
authors.forename: Krishna L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D045482:Hot Springs / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D017905:Phosphites / Q000032:analysis*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D017905:Phosphites; D014867:Water