title: Detection and structural identification of dissolved organic matter in Antarctic glacial ice at natural abundance by SPR-W5-WATERGATE 1H NMR spectroscopy.
abstract: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems and is derived from various inputs that control its turnover. Glaciers and ice sheets are the second largest water reservoir in the global hydrologic cycle, but little is known about glacial DOM composition or contributions to biogeochemical cycling. Here we employ SPR-W5-WATERGATE (1)H NMR spectroscopy to elucidate and quantify the chemical structures of DOM constituents in Antarctic glacial ice as they exist in their natural state (average DOC of 8 mg/L) without isolation or preconcentration. This Antarctic glacial DOM is predominantly composed of a mixture of small recognizable molecules differing from DOM in marine, lacustrine, and other terrestrial environments. The major constituents detected in three distinct types of glacial ice include lactic and formic acid, free amino acids, and a mixture of simple sugars and amino sugars with concentrations that vary between ice types. The detection of free amino acid and amino sugar monomer components of peptidoglycan within the ice suggests that Antarctic glacial DOM likely originates from in situ microbial activity. As these constituents are normally considered to be biologically labile (fast cycling) in nonglacial environments, accelerated glacier melt and runoff may result in a flux of nutrients into adjacent ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4 Canada.
authors.forename: Brent G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Pautler
authors.forename: André J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Myrna J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Li-Hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spraul
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubnick
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Sean J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Fitzsimons
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D046448:Ice Cover / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals