Carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of dissolved methane in the Scheldt estuary

Caroline Jacques; Thanos Gkritzalis; Jean-Louis Tison; Thomas Hartley; Frank Dehairs; Celia J. Sapart

doi:10.1007/s12237-020-00768-3

Carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of dissolved methane in the Scheldt estuary

Caroline Jacques, Thanos Gkritzalis, Jean-Louis Tison, Thomas Hartley, Frank Dehairs, Celia J. Sapart

Chemistry

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Abstract

To investigate the origin of the excess dissolved methane (CH 4 ), which is a common feature among most estuaries, we collected water samples for CH4 concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C and δD values) in the Scheldt estuary during December 2015 and November 2016. The Scheldt estuary, a eutrophic, heterotrophic tidal estuary, is located at the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. The gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses performed on these samples revealed (1) variable dissolved CH4 concentrations up to 302.6 nM in surface waters of the Port of Antwerp, which is within the higher range of values reported for European estuaries, and (2) the presence of surprisingly high isotopic signatures in the upper estuary. While microbial CH4 production dominates in the lower part of the estuary, we observe a clear trend towards isotopically heavier CH4 upstream where isotopic signatures as enriched as -25.2 ‰ for carbon and +101 ‰ for hydrogen were measured. Microbial oxidation of most of the CH4 pool could explain such enrichments. This study identifies peculiar features associated with CH4 cycling in the Scheldt estuary, paving the way for a more thorough biogeochemical characterisation to quantify the contribution of each production/removal process.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	137–146
Number of pages	20
Journal	Estuaries and Coasts
Volume	44
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00768-3
Publication status	Published - Jan 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) for collaborating on this study as well as the crew of RV Simon Stevin for their support during the cruises. We are grateful to Alberto V. Borges and to the Chemical Oceanography Unit of the University of Liège for having granted access to their gas chromatography equipment and for assistance during analyses. Isotopic analyses were performed at the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, thanks to a mobility grant from the F.R.S.-FNRS. We also would like to thank Profs. F. Fripiat and S. Arndt for their precious advice, as well as the two anonymous referees for their constructive comments.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).

Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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10.1007/s12237-020-00768-3Licence: CC BY

Jacques2021_Article_CarbonAndHydrogenIsotopeSignatFinal published version, 3.26 MBLicence: CC BY

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title = "Carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of dissolved methane in the Scheldt estuary",

abstract = "To investigate the origin of the excess dissolved methane (CH 4 ), which is a common feature among most estuaries, we collected water samples for CH4 concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C and δD values) in the Scheldt estuary during December 2015 and November 2016. The Scheldt estuary, a eutrophic, heterotrophic tidal estuary, is located at the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. The gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses performed on these samples revealed (1) variable dissolved CH4 concentrations up to 302.6 nM in surface waters of the Port of Antwerp, which is within the higher range of values reported for European estuaries, and (2) the presence of surprisingly high isotopic signatures in the upper estuary. While microbial CH4 production dominates in the lower part of the estuary, we observe a clear trend towards isotopically heavier CH4 upstream where isotopic signatures as enriched as -25.2 ‰ for carbon and +101 ‰ for hydrogen were measured. Microbial oxidation of most of the CH4 pool could explain such enrichments. This study identifies peculiar features associated with CH4 cycling in the Scheldt estuary, paving the way for a more thorough biogeochemical characterisation to quantify the contribution of each production/removal process.",

author = "Caroline Jacques and Thanos Gkritzalis and Jean-Louis Tison and Thomas Hartley and Frank Dehairs and Sapart, {Celia J.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) for collaborating on this study as well as the crew of RV Simon Stevin for their support during the cruises. We are grateful to Alberto V. Borges and to the Chemical Oceanography Unit of the University of Li{\`e}ge for having granted access to their gas chromatography equipment and for assistance during analyses. Isotopic analyses were performed at the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, thanks to a mobility grant from the F.R.S.-FNRS. We also would like to thank Profs. F. Fripiat and S. Arndt for their precious advice, as well as the two anonymous referees for their constructive comments. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020, The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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AU - Jacques, Caroline

AU - Gkritzalis, Thanos

AU - Tison, Jean-Louis

AU - Hartley, Thomas

AU - Dehairs, Frank

AU - Sapart, Celia J.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) for collaborating on this study as well as the crew of RV Simon Stevin for their support during the cruises. We are grateful to Alberto V. Borges and to the Chemical Oceanography Unit of the University of Liège for having granted access to their gas chromatography equipment and for assistance during analyses. Isotopic analyses were performed at the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, thanks to a mobility grant from the F.R.S.-FNRS. We also would like to thank Profs. F. Fripiat and S. Arndt for their precious advice, as well as the two anonymous referees for their constructive comments. Publisher Copyright: © 2020, The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/1

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N2 - To investigate the origin of the excess dissolved methane (CH 4 ), which is a common feature among most estuaries, we collected water samples for CH4 concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C and δD values) in the Scheldt estuary during December 2015 and November 2016. The Scheldt estuary, a eutrophic, heterotrophic tidal estuary, is located at the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. The gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses performed on these samples revealed (1) variable dissolved CH4 concentrations up to 302.6 nM in surface waters of the Port of Antwerp, which is within the higher range of values reported for European estuaries, and (2) the presence of surprisingly high isotopic signatures in the upper estuary. While microbial CH4 production dominates in the lower part of the estuary, we observe a clear trend towards isotopically heavier CH4 upstream where isotopic signatures as enriched as -25.2 ‰ for carbon and +101 ‰ for hydrogen were measured. Microbial oxidation of most of the CH4 pool could explain such enrichments. This study identifies peculiar features associated with CH4 cycling in the Scheldt estuary, paving the way for a more thorough biogeochemical characterisation to quantify the contribution of each production/removal process.

AB - To investigate the origin of the excess dissolved methane (CH 4 ), which is a common feature among most estuaries, we collected water samples for CH4 concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C and δD values) in the Scheldt estuary during December 2015 and November 2016. The Scheldt estuary, a eutrophic, heterotrophic tidal estuary, is located at the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. The gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses performed on these samples revealed (1) variable dissolved CH4 concentrations up to 302.6 nM in surface waters of the Port of Antwerp, which is within the higher range of values reported for European estuaries, and (2) the presence of surprisingly high isotopic signatures in the upper estuary. While microbial CH4 production dominates in the lower part of the estuary, we observe a clear trend towards isotopically heavier CH4 upstream where isotopic signatures as enriched as -25.2 ‰ for carbon and +101 ‰ for hydrogen were measured. Microbial oxidation of most of the CH4 pool could explain such enrichments. This study identifies peculiar features associated with CH4 cycling in the Scheldt estuary, paving the way for a more thorough biogeochemical characterisation to quantify the contribution of each production/removal process.

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U2 - 10.1007/s12237-020-00768-3

DO - 10.1007/s12237-020-00768-3

M3 - Article

SN - 1559-2723

VL - 44

SP - 137

EP - 146

JO - Estuaries and Coasts

JF - Estuaries and Coasts

IS - 1

ER -

Carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of dissolved methane in the Scheldt estuary

Abstract

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AMGC - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (IRMS)

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Carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of dissolved methane in the Scheldt estuary

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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Equipment

AMGC - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (IRMS)

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