Experimental constraints on Fe isotope fractionation during magnetite and Fe carbonate formation coupled to dissimilatory hydrous ferric oxide reduction

Abstract

Iron isotope fractionation between aqueous Fe(II) and biogenic magnetite and Fe carbonates produced during reduction of hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) by Shewanella putrefaciens, Shewanella algae, and Geobacter sulfurreducens in laboratory experiments is a function of Fe(III) reduction rates and pathways by which biogenic minerals are formed. High Fe(III) reduction rates produced 56Fe/ 54Fe ratios for Fe(II) aq that are 2–3‰ lower than the HFO substrate, reflecting a kinetic isotope fractionation that was associated with rapid sorption of Fe(II) to HFO. In long-term experiments at low Fe(III) reduction rates, the Fe(II) aq-magnetite fractionation is −1.3‰, and this is interpreted to be the equilibrium fractionation factor at 22°C in the biologic reduction systems studied here. In experiments where Fe carbonate was the major ferrous product of HFO reduction, the estimated equilibrium Fe(II) aq-Fe carbonate fractionations were ca. 0.0‰ for siderite (FeCO 3) and ca. +0.9‰ for Ca-substituted siderite (Ca 0.15Fe 0.85CO 3) at 22°C. Formation of precursor phases such as amorphous nonmagnetic, noncarbonate Fe(II) solids are important in the pathways to formation of biogenic magnetite or siderite, particularly at high Fe(III) reduction rates, and these solids may have 56Fe/ 54Fe ratios that are up to 1‰ lower than Fe(II) aq. Under low Fe(III) reduction rates, where equilibrium is likely to be attained, it appears that both sorbed Fe(II) and amorphous Fe(II)(s) components have isotopic compositions that are similar to those of Fe(II) aq. The relative order of δ 56Fe values for these biogenic minerals and aqueous Fe(II) is: magnetite > siderite ≈ Fe(II) aq > Ca-bearing Fe carbonate, and this is similar to that observed for minerals from natural samples such as Banded Iron Formations (BIFs). Where magnetite from BIFs has δ 56Fe >0‰, the calculated δ 56Fe value for aqueous Fe(II) suggests a source from midocean ridge (MOR) hydrothermal fluids. In contrast, magnetite from BIFs that has δ 56Fe ≤0‰ apparently requires formation from aqueous Fe(II) that had very low δ 56Fe values. Based on this experimental study, formation of low-δ 56Fe Fe(II) aq in nonsulfidic systems seems most likely to have been produced by dissimilatory reduction of ferric oxides by Fe(III)-reducing bacteria.