Carbon Mineralization Pathways and Early Diagenesis in Lake Erie Sediments

In spite of the long-standing paradigm whereby organic matter degradation proceeds by redox reactions that consume oxidants in the order of free energy yield, diagenesis in marine and fresh water sediments often yield different results. The reasons for this are the highly variable absolute and relative abundances of electron acceptors and the different microbial populations found in freshwater environments. As contaminant availability and subsequent impact on aquatic ecosystems are directly linked to these transformations, it is important to understand the most important degradation pathways and their rates. To this end we have conducted chemical analyses of Lake Erie sediment pore-waters and a preliminary characterization of the vertical distribution of microbiological populations. Sediments were collected at four locations in the Central and Eastern basins of Lake Erie during cruises of the R/V LIMNOS in May and June of 2004 respectively. High-resolution vertical profiles of several redox-active species (O2, Fe2+, Mn2+, Fe3+ and S2-) have been obtained by voltammetry using Au/Hg amalgam micro-electrodes. These are the first high-resolution pore-water profiles obtained for multiple redox species using Au/Hg amalgam microelectrodes in the Great Lakes. These profiles show oxygen depletion to levels below detection (5 uM) at depths that range from <1 to 6 mm below the sediment-water interface. Frequently, there is up to 1 cm separation between the depth at which O2 became undetectable and the depth of the first measurable Mn2+. The vertical concentration profiles of Mn2+ and Fe2+ are highly variable between stations and seem to be related to the local bathymetry. Alternatively this variability may be related to the abundance of solid phase Mn and Fe at these sites. The presence of voltammetric peaks measured between -0.5 and -0.6 V, that are often attributed to dissolved organic Fe (III) species, could be produced as part of a strategy by Fe reducing microorganisms to render solid phase Fe (III) bioavailable. Mn2+ voltammetric peaks were shifted to potentials more negative than the -1.53 to -1.55 mV commonly observed in marine pore waters. This shift is consistent with previous studies in freshwaters and has been ascribed to Mn2+ complexation by organic ligands (e.g. Luther et al, 2003). However, this shift may be due to analytical artifacts associated with using a solid state Ag/AgCl reference electrode in low ionic strength solutions. Measurable sulphide in the first 5 cm below the sediment-water interface is sporadic which suggests that sulphate reduction occurs in micro-environments locally enriched in organic carbon. Preliminary cultivation-independent, microbiological analyses have revealed 16s rDNA clones that are closely related to known species capable of enzymatic reduction of Fe(III) and the dechlorination of organic compounds (e.g. Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans). These organisms were vertically dispersed within several different core sections suggestive of an intriguing tie between diagenetic reactions and anthropogenic organic compound degradation in these sediments. Coupling high-resolution voltammetry and spatially resolved genomic tools to investigate the controls on sediment pore water chemistry holds a promising future for elucidating the controls on early diagenesis in freshwater ecosystems.