Bacterial and algal hydrocarbons in sediments from a saline Antarctic lake, Ace Lake

Abstract

Capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (C-GC-MS) and Iatroscan thin layer chromatography-flame ionisation detection (TLC-FID) were used to study hydrocarbon distributions in a sediment core from Ace Lake, a saline, meromictic lake in the Vestfold Hills of Antarctica. Hydrocarbons were abundant in most core sections (up to 125/μg/g dry wt), particularly in near-surface samples, and the distributions were very complex. Major constituents were identified as phytane, 2,6,10,15,19-pentamethyleicosane, tetrahydrosqualene, a mixture of phytenes, cholesta-3,5-diene and fern-7-ene. Smaller amounts of sterenes and hopenes were also present. The predominance of the first 3 acyclic isoprenoids in sediments buried less than 30 cm is consistent with high populations of methanogenic bacteria known to be present. Phytenes were abundant in all core sections, and there was no relationship between their abundance and that of phytane which suggests that they were not derived from methanogenic bacteria. Phytadienes were minor constituents at all depths studied. An unusual feature of some distributions was the high concentrations of fern-7-ene which was the major hydrocarbon in the 20–25 cm core section. This alkene was only abundant in sediments which contained high concentrations of methanogen markers suggesting that it may also be indicative of anoxic depositional environments. A possible source might be from purple non-sulphur bacteria. High concentrations of straight-chain C 29 and C 34 alkenes were also found in these sediments but their origin has not been determined. Major changes in the hydrocarbon distributions with depth indicate that the depositional environment in the lake has altered dramatically since the lake was formed less than 8000 years ago. The present condition of permanent anoxic bottom waters probably developed only in the last 1000 years.