A Review of Macromolecular Organic Compounds That Comprise Living Organisms and Their Role in Kerogen, Coal, and Petroleum Formation

Leeuw, J.W. de; Largeau, Claude

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-2890-6_2

Cited by 282 publications

(182 citation statements)

References 255 publications

(194 reference statements)

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“…The most likely source for these LCDs is the insoluble biopolymer algaenan, which is produced in substantial amounts by Eustigmatophyte algae. Based on chemical degradation methods such as RuO 4 and/or HI, or thermal degradation methods such as pyrolysis GC/MS (Gelin et al, 1997(Gelin et al, , 1999Blokker et al, 1998bBlokker et al, , 2000Blokker et al, , 2006, this algaenan is thought to be composed of LCDs linked by ether bonds (Zelibor et al, 1988;Tegelaar et al, 1989a;de Leeuw and Largeau, 1993;Gelin et al, 1997;Blokker et al, 1998aBlokker et al, , 2000. If so, it is difficult to envisage how oxidation of ether-linked diols would result in the release of LCDs themselves, i.e.…”

Section: Impact Of Oxygen Exposure On the Abundance Of Fatty Acids Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of oxygen exposure on long-chain alkyl diols and the long chain diol index (LDI) – a long-term incubation study

Reiche

Rampen

Dorhout

et al. 2018

Organic Geochemistry

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a b s t r a c tIn recent years, long chain alkyl diols (LCDs) have been used increasingly to study and reconstruct past sea surface temperatures using the long chain diol index (LDI), which is based on changes in the distribution of 1,15-LCDs. However, the impact of diagenesis on LCDs and the LDI is still poorly constrained. Here we studied the impact of oxygen exposure on LCDs and the LDI, by aerobically incubating biomass of the LCD-producing alga Nannochloropsis oculata for 271 days. The concentrations of extractable freeand bound, residually ester-bound and residually-bound glycosidic ether-or amide-bound saturated fatty acids and LCDs were determined. A significant impact of oxygen exposure was observed for C 14 , C 16 and C 18 saturated fatty acids and the C 20:5 polyunsaturated fatty acid, as their concentration decreased significantly over time, irrespective of their mode of binding. LCDs, in contrast, increased significantly in concentration over incubation time, e.g. up to a 30-fold increase in concentrations for residually ester-bound LCDs at day 125 compared to concentrations at the beginning of the experiment. This increase in concentration most likely represents a release of LCDs from the insoluble biopolymer algaenan due to the impact of oxygen exposure. Values of the LDI differed strongly depending on the mode of occurrence of LCDs in the biomass. However, despite the large changes in concentration of LCDs in response to oxygen exposure, the LDI remained relatively stable after prolonged degradation. This suggests that oxygen exposure may not have a substantial impact on the LDI of extractable LCDs used for its determination.

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Section: Impact Of Oxygen Exposure On the Abundance Of Fatty Acids Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of oxygen exposure on long-chain alkyl diols and the long chain diol index (LDI) – a long-term incubation study

Reiche

Rampen

Dorhout

et al. 2018

Organic Geochemistry

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“…It is now well known that certain microalgae, especially Chlorophyceae and Eustigmatophyceae, biosynthesize nonhydrolyzable and highly aliphatic macromolecules called algaenan, which comprise the outer cell walls (Largeau et al, 1984;Goth et al, 1988;Derenne et al, 1992;De Leeuw and Largeau, 1993;Gelin et al, 1996). These algaenans become relatively enriched in sedimentary OM, since they are probably the most resistant to microbial degradation.…”

Section: Sources Of the Pyrolysis Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in kerogen composition across an oxidation front in Madeira Abyssal Plain turbidites as revealed by pyrolysis GC-MS

Damsté¹,

Hoefs²,

Leeuw³

et al. 1998

Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, 157 Scientific Results

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Isolated kerogens from Madeira Abyssal Plain turbidite samples were qualitatively and semiquantitatively studied by means of analytical pyrolysis for the effect of oxygen exposure on organic matter preservation. The initial organic matter in the turbidite is very homogeneous and relatively high and offers an ideal case for the study of oxygen effects on organic matter preservation without the usual complications of varying sources or sedimentation rates and bioturbation. From all four studied turbidites, one sample from the oxidized part of the turbidite was compared with two samples from the unoxidized part. The aliphatic character of the kerogens after postdepositional oxidation has increased significantly, as revealed by the abundance of the n-alkanes and n-alk-1-enes in the oxidized turbidite. At the same time, the contribution of the isoprenoid alkanes and alkenes and the alkylthiophenes to the pyrolysate has decreased significantly. The relative abundances of alkylbenzenes, alkylnaphthalenes, alkylphenols, alkylindenes, and alkan-2-ones in the pyrolysates have remained relatively constant upon oxidation. The alkylbenzene, alkylphenol, alkylnaphthalene, n-alkane, and n-alk-1-ene, isoprenoid alkane, and alkene internal distributions are substantially altered in the oxidized samples. This study shows that postdepositional oxidation of sedimentary organic matter by oxygen is far more severe than by sulfate alone. Furthermore, it is clear that oxidation of the organic matter is, to a significant degree, selective.

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“…The outer cell walls of some algae and extant plant structures contain resistant, highly aliphatic biopolymers, which are considered the precursors for a major fraction of the n-alkyl moieties in lacustrine kerogens [de Leeuw and Largeau, 1993]. Interestingly, the green microalga Pediastrum is an important source for aliphatic hydrocarbons [Blokker et al, 1998].…”

Section: Organic Matter Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It represents the main form of OM in young lacustrine sediments, and is a product of the diagenetic alteration of biogenic OM combined with selectively preserved resistant biomacromolecules. Naturally occurring macromolecules such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lignins are important constituents of living organisms [de Leeuw and Largeau, 1993]. Although a very limited number of studies is available so far, they indicate that the geochemical composition of this quantitatively most important OM fraction provides valuable information about sources and degradation processes in lake environments [e.g., Bourdon et al, 2000;Fuhrmann et al, 2003].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Quaternary environmental and climatic changes in central Europe as inferred from the composition of organic matter in annually laminated maar lake sediments

Fuhrmann

Fischer

Lücke

et al. 2004

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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[1] Geochemical (elemental analysis, bulk d 13 C TOC , thermal degradation techniques, molecular analysis of n-alkanes) and microscopic investigations (maceral analysis, vitrinite reflectance) were performed (1) to characterize the organic matter (OM) in sediments from two maar lakes in the Westeifel volcanic field, Germany, and (2) to discuss paleoenvironmental processes which have controlled the accumulation and preservation of OM. The annually laminated sediments show a wide range of organic carbon contents between 0.3 and 21.4% TOC and Hydrogen Index values between 80 and 501 mg HC/g TOC. Welldeveloped laminations mirror suboxic to anoxic bottom waters. Diagnostic compounds in the pyrolysates and microscopic analysis permit discrimination between the principal OM sources, and their variations over time provide important evidence for the reconstruction of the environmental histories of the lakes and their watershed. The significance of terrigenous OM is reflected by the occurrence of methoxyphenols in the insoluble as well as mid-and long-chain n-alkanes in the soluble OM which are indicative of land plant or macrophyte input to the lakes. The relative abundance of certain homologues together with the amount of terrigenous macerals can be used to show differences in higher plant input and vegetation changes through time. During the Pleniglacial and Younger Dryas period, high-reflecting reworked OM was introduced by soil erosion in an environment with relatively open vegetation. The alkylphenols in the pyrolysates originate partly from the microbial reworking of proteinaceous tyrosine moieties and/or reflect a direct contribution from cyanobacteria. We assume that variations in the carbon isotopic composition of OM are mainly due to changes in the lake's primary productivity with the exception of the Pleniglacial. Various forms of land use are reflected by increasing amounts of terrigenous particles as well as chemical plant markers from 500 varve years B.P. until present. The organic geochemical and microscopic data G 3

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A Review of Macromolecular Organic Compounds That Comprise Living Organisms and Their Role in Kerogen, Coal, and Petroleum Formation

Cited by 282 publications

References 255 publications

The impact of oxygen exposure on long-chain alkyl diols and the long chain diol index (LDI) – a long-term incubation study

The impact of oxygen exposure on long-chain alkyl diols and the long chain diol index (LDI) – a long-term incubation study

Changes in kerogen composition across an oxidation front in Madeira Abyssal Plain turbidites as revealed by pyrolysis GC-MS

Late Quaternary environmental and climatic changes in central Europe as inferred from the composition of organic matter in annually laminated maar lake sediments

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