Sulfate Minerals: A Problem for the Detection of Organic Compounds on Mars?

Lewis, J. M. T.; Watson, Jonathan S.; Najorka, Jens; Luong, Duy; Sephton, Mark A.

doi:10.1089/ast.2014.1160

Cited by 34 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Furthermore, oxygen-bearing organics are commonly found in carbonaceous chondrites [Okumura and Mimura, 2011], which through meteoritic infall, are expected to occur on the Martian surface [Flynn, 1996]. Alternatively, organics of either Martian or exogenous sources could have been oxidized to carboxylic acids [e.g., mellitic acid (RCOOH), acetate (CH 3 CO 2 À ), and oxalates Carbon dioxide releases above 600°C were consistent with decomposition of organics trapped in minerals [e.g., Aubrey et al, 2006;Bowden and Parnell, 2007]. Coprecipitated phthalic acid with Mg sulfate was demonstrated to be protected from combustion by oxychlorine derived O 2 below 600°C [Francois et al, 2016].…”

Section: Comentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolved gas analyses of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediment in Gale Crater, Mars: Results of the Curiosity rover's sample analysis at Mars instrument from Yellowknife Bay to the Namib Dune

et al. 2017

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The sample analysis at Mars instrument evolved gas analyzer (SAM-EGA) has detected evolved water, H 2 , SO 2 , H 2 S, NO, CO 2 , CO, O 2 , and HCl from two eolian sediments and nine sedimentary rocks from Gale Crater, Mars. These evolved gas detections indicate nitrates, organics, oxychlorine phase, and sulfates are widespread with phyllosilicates and carbonates occurring in select Gale Crater materials. Coevolved CO 2 (160 ± 248-2373 ± 820 μgC (CO2) /g) and CO (11 ± 3-320 ± 130 μgC (CO) /g) suggest that organic C is present in Gale Crater materials. Five samples evolved CO 2 at temperatures consistent with carbonate (0.32 ± 0.05-0.70 ± 0.1 wt % CO 3 ). Evolved NO amounts to 0.002 ± 0.007-0.06 ± 0.03 wt % NO 3 . Evolution of O 2 suggests that oxychlorine phases (chlorate/perchlorate) (0.05 ± 0.025-1.05 ± 0.44 wt % ClO 4 ) are present, while SO 2 evolution indicates the presence of crystalline and/or poorly crystalline Fe and Mg sulfate and possibly sulfide. Evolved H 2 O (0.9 ± 0.3-2.5 ± 1.6 wt % H 2 O) is consistent with the presence of adsorbed water, hydrated salts, interlayer/structural water from phyllosilicates, and possible inclusion water in mineral/amorphous phases. Evolved H 2 and H 2 S suggest that reduced phases occur despite the presence of oxidized phases (nitrate, oxychlorine, sulfate, and carbonate). SAM results coupled with CheMin mineralogical and Alpha-Particle X-ray Spectrometer elemental analyses indicate that Gale Crater sedimentary rocks have experienced a complex authigenetic/diagenetic history involving fluids with varying pH, redox, and salt composition. The inferred geochemical conditions were favorable for microbial habitability and if life ever existed, there was likely sufficient organic C to support a small microbial population.

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Section: Comentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolved gas analyses of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediment in Gale Crater, Mars: Results of the Curiosity rover's sample analysis at Mars instrument from Yellowknife Bay to the Namib Dune

et al. 2017

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“…Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 123, 1901-1909. https://doi.org/10.1029 thermal extraction analyses (Blake et al, 2013;Freissinet et al, 2015;Glavin et al, 2013;Leshin et al, 2013;Lewis et al, 2015;Miller et al, 2016;Ming et al, 2014) and are present at high concentrations in hyperarid environments.…”

Section: 1029/2018je005615mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…So far, almost all attempts to search for evidence of indigenous organic molecules on Mars have failed to detect anything other than CO, CO 2 , short chain (C 1 -C 4 ) alkyl, and single-ring aromatic organochlorine molecules (Biemann et al, 1977;Cannon et al, 2012;Freissinet et al, 2015;Glavin et al, 2013;Leshin et al, 2013;Ming et al, 2014). Only recent analysis of samples from the lower Murray mudstone, analyzed by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), have yielded evidence of complex organic matter (Eigenbrode et al, , 2018.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perchlorate‐Driven Combustion of Organic Matter During Pyrolysis‐Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry: Implications for Organic Matter Detection on Earth and Mars

et al. 2018

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The search for life on Mars targets the detection of organic matter from extant or extinct organisms. Current protocols use thermal extraction procedures to transfer organic matter to mass spectrometer detectors. Oxidizing minerals on Mars, such as perchlorate, interfere with organic detection by thermal extraction. Thermal decomposition of perchlorate releases oxygen, which promotes combustion of organic carbon. We have assessed the minimum mass ratio of organic carbon to perchlorate required to detect organic matter by thermal extraction and mass spectrometry. Locations on Mars with organic carbon to perchlorate ratios above 4.7-9.6 should be targeted. Because habitability is enhanced by the presence of liquid water and because perchlorate is a water-soluble salt, locations on Mars with evidence of past or recent liquid water are high priority targets.Plain Language Summary Missions to Mars look for evidence of organic molecules using thermal extraction techniques. Certain minerals on the Martian surface, such as perchlorate salts, break down during heating, releasing oxygen and causing the combustion of any organic matter, which may have been present. In this event organic carbon is lost to analysis as CO and CO 2 . We used the ratio of CO: CO 2 produced as a proxy for the completeness of combustion when various ratios of organic matter and perchlorate where thermally decomposed together. This allowed us to find a minimum organic carbon: perchlorate mass ratio (~5 times) for the survival of organic molecules. Carbon monoxide can only be produced if there is an excess of carbon to oxygen, which could enable the survival of unoxidized organic molecules for their subsequent detection. Applying these findings to Mars suggests that we would not expect to be able to detect organic molecules in average Martian soil. Consequently, future life detection missions to Mars must search for areas that exceed this ratio, either by having more organic matter or less perchlorate, and locations with evidence of recent water activity or in the subsurface are most likely to fulfill both of these criteria.

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“…Research on the impact of adsorption to minerals on thermovolatilization-based detection of biomarkers appears to be absent from the scientific literature. The presence of oxidizing minerals such as sulfates and perchlorate may compromise the detection of organic biomarkers (Navarro-González et al, 2010; Lewis et al, 2015). The failure of the Viking gas chromatographmass spectrometer to detect organics at the part-per-billion level in the top few centimeters of the martian soil (Biemann et al, 1976) is now assumed to have been due to chemical oxidation of organics by perchlorate at high temperatures in the oven of the gas chromatograph instrument (NavarroGonzález et al, 2010).…”

Section: Impact Of Mineralogy On the Extraction Of Biomarkersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Significance of Microbe-Mineral-Biomarker Interactions in the Detection of Life on Mars and Beyond

Röling¹,

Aerts²,

Patty³

et al. 2015

Astrobiology

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The detection of biomarkers plays a central role in our effort to establish whether there is, or was, life beyond Earth. In this review, we address the importance of considering mineralogy in relation to the selection of locations and biomarker detection methodologies with characteristics most promising for exploration. We review relevant mineral-biomarker and mineral-microbe interactions. The local mineralogy on a particular planet reflects its past and current environmental conditions and allows a habitability assessment by comparison with life under extreme conditions on Earth. The type of mineral significantly influences the potential abundances and types of biomarkers and microorganisms containing these biomarkers. The strong adsorptive power of some minerals aids in the preservation of biomarkers and may have been important in the origin of life. On the other hand, this strong adsorption as well as oxidizing properties of minerals can interfere with efficient extraction and detection of biomarkers. Differences in mechanisms of adsorption and in properties of minerals and biomarkers suggest that it will be difficult to design a single extraction procedure for a wide range of biomarkers. While on Mars samples can be used for direct detection of biomarkers such as nucleic acids, amino acids, and lipids, on other planetary bodies remote spectrometric detection of biosignatures has to be relied upon. The interpretation of spectral signatures of photosynthesis can also be affected by local mineralogy. We identify current gaps in our knowledge and indicate how they may be filled to improve the chances of detecting biomarkers on Mars and beyond.

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Sulfate Minerals: A Problem for the Detection of Organic Compounds on Mars?

Cited by 34 publications

References 66 publications

Evolved gas analyses of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediment in Gale Crater, Mars: Results of the Curiosity rover's sample analysis at Mars instrument from Yellowknife Bay to the Namib Dune

Evolved gas analyses of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediment in Gale Crater, Mars: Results of the Curiosity rover's sample analysis at Mars instrument from Yellowknife Bay to the Namib Dune

Perchlorate‐Driven Combustion of Organic Matter During Pyrolysis‐Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry: Implications for Organic Matter Detection on Earth and Mars

The Significance of Microbe-Mineral-Biomarker Interactions in the Detection of Life on Mars and Beyond

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