A biological source of oceanic alkyl nitrates

Alkyl nitrates are an important component of reactive nitrogen in the troposphere. The oceans are a source of alkyl nitrates to the atmosphere, however the source of alkyl nitrates in the oceans is unknown. It has been demonstrated that the reaction of alkyl peroxy radicals (ROO) with nitric oxide (NO) produces alkyl nitrates in the aqueous phase. We hypothesize that alkyl nitrates may be formed by organisms through the same reaction and therefore biological production could be a source of alkyl nitrates to the troposphere. This work focuses on the production of alkyl nitrates by the diatoms Chaetoceros muelleri and Thalassiosira weisfloggi. Using chemostats, we measure alkyl nitrates formed under nitrate limited conditions. We also use triggers and inhibitors of nitric oxide formation to determine if alkyl nitrate formation is affected by changes in NO production. To date, the rates of production of alkyl nitrates in our cultures, lead us to estimate a production rate on the order of femtomolar/day for C1-C3 alkyl nitrates by diatom species in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. This suggests that diatoms may contribute to the overall ocean source of alkyl nitrates; however, it is possible that other types of phytoplankton, such as cyanobacteria, that are more abundant in the open ocean, may contribute to a greater extent.