Superoxide (O₂^–: IUPAC name dioxide (•1−)) is an important transient reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ocean formed as an intermediate in the redox transformation of oxygen (O₂) into hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and vice versa. This highly reactive and very short-lived radical anion can be produced both via photochemical and biological processes in the ocean. In this paper we examine the decomposition rate of O₂^– throughout the water column, using new data collected in the Eastern Tropical North Atlantic (ETNA) Ocean. For this approach we applied a semi factorial experimental design to identify and quantify the pathways of the major identified sinks in the ocean. In this work we occupied six stations, two on the West African continental shelf and four open ocean stations, including the CVOO time series site adjacent to Cape Verde. Our results indicate that, in the surface ocean impacted by Saharan aerosols and coastal sediment resuspension, the main decay pathways for superoxide are via reactions with Mn(II) and organic matter.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Earth Sciences
Research Group:	Oceanography
Research Field:	Chemical oceanography
Objective Division:	Environmental Management
Objective Group:	Other environmental management
Objective Field:	Other environmental management not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Wuttig, K (Dr Kathrin Wuttig)
ID Code:	103234
Year Published:	2013
Web of Science® Times Cited:	49
Deposited By:	CRC-Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems
Deposited On:	2015-09-29
Last Modified:	2017-11-01
Downloads:	0