Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a new method for rapid determination of total organic and inorganic carbon and biogenic silica concentration in lake sediments

Summary, in English

We demonstrate the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) to make quantitative measures of total organic carbon (TOC), total inorganic carbon (TIC) and biogenic silica (BSi) concentrations in sediment. FTIRS is a fast and cost-effective technique and only small sediment samples are needed (0.01 g). Statistically significant models were developed using sediment samples from northern Sweden and were applied to sediment records from Sweden, northeast Siberia and Macedonia. The correlation between FTIRS-inferred values and amounts of biogeochemical constituents assessed conventionally varied between r = 0.84-0.99 for TOC, r = 0.85-0.99 for TIC, and r = 0.68-0.94 for BSi. Because FTIR spectra contain information on a large number of both inorganic and organic components, there is great potential for FTIRS to become an important tool in paleolimnology.

• Author: Peter Rosen; Hendrik Vogel; Laura Cunningham; Nina Reuss; Daniel Conley; Per Persson
• Department/s: Quaternary Sciences; Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC); MEMEG; BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate; Microbial Ecology
• Publishing year: 2010
• Language: English
• Pages: 247-259
• Publication/Series: Journal of Paleolimnology
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 2
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10933-009-9329-4
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Springer
• Topic: Geology
• Keywords: Carbon; Paleolimnology; IR spectroscopy; Biogenic silica; Biogeochemistry; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; FTIRS
• Status: Published
• Research group: Microbial Ecology
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0921-2728