The emission of biogenic sulphur gases from incubated Chinese paddy soil and its relationship with carbon dioxide

Abstract

Biogeic sulphur gases emitted from terrestrial ecosystem may play an important role in the global sulphur cycle and have a profound influence on global climate change. In this paper, the emissions of volatile sulphur gases and carbon dioxide from incubated paddy soil were measured. The paddy soils were collected from Nanjing and Yangzhou, China. Six species of sulphur‐containing gases were detected by gas chromatography analysis: hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbonyl sulphide (COS), methyl mercaptan (CH3SH), carbon disulphide (CS2), dimethyl sulphide (CH3SCH3 or DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (CH3SSCH3 or DMDS). The detected sulphur gases under anaerobic condition (nitrogen) are higher than under aerobic condition (air). After being emitted from soil, these sulphur gases are oxidized and diminished. The values of detected sulphur gases are equal to the difference between the emission and oxidation of sulphur gases. Under aerobic condition, the oxidation rates of sulphur gases were higher than that under anaerobic condition. With the kinetics analysis, it is shown that the emission rates were almost the same under both conditions. There is a positive correlation between the actual emission of total biogenic sulphur gases and carbon dioxide.