Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2025

Laboratory Simulation of an IronII-rich Precambrian Marine Upwelling System to Explore the Growth of Photosynthetic Bacteria
Published on: July 24, 2016
Secondary Mineral Formation and Carbon Dynamics during FeS Oxidation in the Presence of Dissolved Organic Matter
Hua Ma1, Pinya Wang1, Aaron Thompson2
1School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Abstract:
Iron (Fe) minerals constitute a major control on organic carbon (OC) storage in soils and sediments. While previous research has mainly targeted Fe (oxyhydr)oxides, the impact of Fe sulfides and their subsequent oxidation on OC dynamics remains unresolved in redox-fluctuating environments. Here, we investigated the impact of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on FeS oxidation and how FeS and its oxidation may alter the retention and nature of DOM. After the anoxic reaction of DOM with FeS, FeS preferentially removed high-molecular-weight and nitrogen-rich compounds and promoted the formation of aqueous sulfurized organic molecules, according to Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) analysis. When exposed to O2, FeS oxidized to nanocrystalline lepidocrocite and additional aqueous sulfurized organic compounds were generated. The presence of DOM decreased the particle size of the resulting nano-lepidocrocite based on Mössbauer spectroscopy. Following FeS oxidation, most solid-phase OC remained associated with the newly formed lepidocrocite via a monodentate chelating mechanism (based on FTIR analysis), and FeS oxidation caused only a slight increase in the solubilization of solid-phase OC. Collectively, this work highlights the under-appreciated role of Fe sulfides and their oxidation in driving OC transformation and preservation.
More Related Videos
09:38Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
Published on: January 7, 2019
14:55Analysis of Minerals Produced by hFOB 1.19 and Saos-2 Cells Using Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis
Published on: June 24, 2018
Related Concept Videos
The Carbon Cycle
The Sulfur Cycle
Carbon-dioxide Fixation
Formation of Complex Ions
Microbial Nutrition
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs