Abstract
Pyruvate is a light carboxylate in the troposphere and can act as potential cloud condensation nuclei. Due to its low concentrations, however, little work has been done on the species in precipitation. Past 43-year record of pyruvate was recovered from an ice core of Glacier 1 at 43°06′N and 86°49′E in the remote East Tianshan, northwestern China. It was revealed that pyruvate varied over a relatively large range with some below the detection limit, while part of it is so high as to be up to 70 ng·g−1. With an average concentration of 4.1±8.1 ng·g−1 (mean±1σ, N=543), pyruvate is a minor species in comparison with other carboxylates. It is also low as compared with its precipitation in other parts of the world, suggesting a difference in its major source flux. The record revealed high pyruvate concentrations in the late halves of the 1950s and 1980s, but low in the late 1950s, late 1970s, and middle 1990s. The variation trend in the past 43 years is closely correlated with that of acetate, a major carboxylate from anthropogenic pollution to the atmosphere, indicating that tropospheric pyruvate in the remote area of northwestern China is probably a by-product in acetate formation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andreae M. O., Browell E. V., Garstang M., Gregory G. L., Harriss R. C., Hill G. F., Jacob D. J., Pereira M. C., Sachse G. W., Setzer A. W., Silva Dias P. L., Talbot R. W., Torres A. L., and Wofsy S. C. (1988) Biomass-burning emissions and associated haze layers over Amazonia [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.93, 1509–1527.
Andreae M. O., Talbot R. W., and Li S. M. (1987) Atmospheric measurements of pyruvic and formic acids [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.92, 6635–6641.
Andrews T. J. and Kane H. J. (1991) Pyruvate is a by-product of catalysis by Ribulosebisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase [J].Journal of Biological Chemistry.266, 9447–9452.
Annual Report of Tianshan Glaciological Station (1979–1998).Annual report of Tianshan Glaciological Station. 1–10 (in Chinese).
Arlander D. W., Cronn D. R., Farmer J. C., Menzia F. A., and Westberg H. H. (1990) Gaseous oxygenated hydrocarbons in the remote marine troposphere [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.95, 16391–16403.
Avery G. B., Jr., Willey J. D., and Kieber R. J. (2001) Diurnal variations in major rainwater components at a coastal site in North Carolina [J].Atmospheric Environment.35, 3927–3933.
Baboukas E. D., Kanakidou M., and Mihalopoulos N. (2000) Carboxylic acids in gas and particulate phase above the Atlantic Ocean [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.105, 14459–14471.
Charlson R. J., Lovelock J. E., Andreae M. O., and Warren S. G. (1987) Oceanic phytoplankton, atmospheric sulfur, cloud albedo and climate [J].Nature.326, 655–661.
Chebbi A. and Carlier P. (1996) Carboxylic acids in the troposphere, occurrence, sources, and sinks: A review [J].Atmospheric Environment.30, 4233–4249.
De Angelis M. and Legrand M. (1995) Preliminary investigations of post depositional effects on HCl, HNO3, and organic acids in polar firn layers. InIce Core Studies of Global Biogeochemical Cycles (ed. R. J. Delmas) [M]. NATO ASI Series I.30, 336–381.
Grosjean D. (1983) Atmospheric reactions of pyruvic acid [J].Atmospheric Environment.17, 2379–2382.
Grosjean D. (1984) Atmospheric reactions of orthol cresol: Gas phase and aerosol products [J].Atmospheric Environment.18, 1641–1652.
Grosjean D., Williams E. L., and Grosjean E. (1993) Atmospheric chemistry of isoprene and of its carbonyl products [J].Environmental Science and Technology.27, 830–840.
Hou Shugui, Qin Dahe, and Ren Jiawen (1999) Re-examination on the climatological significance of the ice core δ18O records from the No. 1 glacier at the head of Urumqi River [J].Geochimica.28, 438–442 (in Chinese with English absrtact).
Jacob D. J. and Wofsy S. C. (1988) Photochemistry of biogenic emissions over the Amazon forest [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.93, 1477–1486.
Kawamura K., Ng L. L., and Kaplan I. R. (1985) Determination of organic acids (C1–C10) in the atmosphere, motor exhaust and engine oils [J].Environmental Science and Technology.19, 1082–1086.
Kawamura K., Semere R., Imai Y., Fuji Y., and Hayashi M. (1996) Water soluble dicarboxylic acids and related compounds in Antarctic aerosols [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.101, 18721–18728.
Khare P., Kumar N., Kumari K. M., and Srivastava S. S. (1999) Atmospheric formic and acetic acids: An overview [J].Reviews of Geophysics.37, 227–248.
Khwaja H. A. (1995) Atmospheric concentrations of carboxylic acids and related compounds at a semiurban site [J].Atmospheric Environment.29, 127–139.
Lamb B., Westberg G. A., and Quarles T. (1985) Biogenic hydrocarbon emissions from deciduous and coniferous trees in the United States [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.90, 2380–2390.
Lee X., Qin D., and Zhou H. (2001) Organic acids: Differences in ice core records between Glacier 1, Tianshan, China, and the polar areas [J].Chinese Science Bulletin.46, 80–82.
Lee X., Qin D., Hou S., Ren J., Duan K., and Zhou H. (2002) Changes in chemical and isotopic properties near infiltrated cracks in an ice core from Ürümqi glacier No. 1, Tianshan, China [J].Annals of Glaciology.35, 162–166.
Lee X., Qin D., Jiang G., Duan K., and Zhou H. (2003) Atmospheric pollution to remote area of Tianshan Mountain: Ice core record [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.108, 4406–4416.
Lee Y. N., Zhou X., and Hallock K. (1995) Atmospheric carboxyl compounds at a rural southeastern United States site [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.100, 25933–25944.
Legrand M. (1995) Sulfur-derived species in polar ice: A review. InIce Core Studies of Global Biogeochemical Cycles (ed. R. J. Delmas) [M]. NATO ASI Series I.30, 91–119.
Legrand M. and De Angelis M. (1995) Origins and variations of light carboxylic acids in polar precipitation [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.100, 1445–1462.
Legrand M. and De Angelis M. (1996) Light carboxylic acids in Greenland ice: A record of past forest fires and vegetation emissions from the boreal zone [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.101, 4129–4145.
Legrand M., De Angelis M., and Maupetit F. (1993) Field investigation of major ions along Summit (central Greenland) ice cores by ion chromatography [J].Journal of Chromatography.640, 251–258.
Li Jiangfeng (1991)Climate in Xinjiang [M]. Meteorological Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Li S.-M. and Winchester J. W. (1989) Geochemistry of organic and inorganic ions of late winter Arctic aerosols [J].Atmospheric Environment.23, 2401–2415.
Liu Chaohai, Zhang Yinsheng, Ren Binhui, Qiu Guoqing, Yang Daqing, Wang Zongtai, Huang Maohuan, Kang Ersi, and Zhang Zhizhong (1991)Handbook of Tianshan Glaciological Station [M]. Gansu Science and Technology Press, Lanzhou.
Maupetit F. and Delmas J. D. (1994) Carboxylic acids in high-elevation glacier snow [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.99, 16491–16500.
Norris R. and Burrows A. (1994) British, French and Chinese nuclear weapons. InNuclear Weapons Databook (eds. R. Norris, A. Burrows, and R. Fieldhouse) [M]. Westview Press, Boulder.5, 359–372.
Norton R. B. (1985) Measurements of formate and acetate in precipitation at Niwot Ridge and Boulder, Colorado [J].Geophysical Research Letters.12, 769–772.
Saltzman E. S. (1995) Ocean/atmosphere cycling of dimethylsulfide. InIce Core Studies of Global Biogeochemical Cycles (ed. R. J. Delmas) [M]. NATO ASI Series I.30, 65–89.
Savarino J. and Legrand M. (1998) High northern latitude forest fires and vegetation emissions over the last millennium inferred from the chemistry of a central Greenland ice core [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.103, 8267–8279.
Souza S. R., Vasconcellos P. C., and Carvalho L. R. F. (1999) Low molecular weight carboxylic acids in an urban atmosphere: Winter measurements in Sao Paulo City, Brazil [J].Atmospheric Environment.33, 2563–2574.
Talbot R. W., Andreae M. O., Berresheim H., Jacob D. J., and Beecher K. M. (1990) Sources and sinks of formic, acetic, and pyruvic acids over central Amazonia: 2. Wet season [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.95, 16799–16811.
Talbot R. W., Beecher K. M., Harriss R. C., and Cofer W. R. III (1988) Atmospheric geochemistry of formic and acetic acids at a mid-latitude tempetate site [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.93, 1638–1652.
Talbot R. W., Mosher B. W., Heikes B. G., Jacob D. J., Munger J. W., Daube B. C., Keene W. C., Maben J. R., and Artz R. S. (1995) Carboxylic acids in the rural continental atmosphere over the eastern United States during the Shenandoah Cloud and Photochemistry Experiment [J].Journal of Geophysical Research.100, 9335–9343.
Vincent C., Vallon M., Pinglot J. F., Funk M., and Reynaud L. (1997) Snow accumulation and ice flow at Dome du Gouter (4300 m), Mont Blanc, French Alps [J].Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology.43, 513–521 (in Chinese with English absrtact).
Wake C. P., Mayewski P., Wang P., Yang Q., Han J. and Xie Z. (1992) Anthropogenic sulfate and Asian dust signals in snow from Tianshan, Northwest China [J].Annals of Glaciology.16, 45–52.
Wang Dehui and Zhang Piyuan (1985) Climate in Ürümqi River valley, Tianshan [J].Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology.7, 239–247 (in Chinese with English absrtact).
Williams M. W., Tonnessen K. A., Melack J. M., and Yang D. (1992) Sources and spatial variation of the chemical composition of snow in Tianshan, China [J].Annals of Glaciology.16, 25–37.
Xie Zichu and Huang Maohuan (1989) Ice formation in glaciers of China. InIntroduction to Chinese Glaciers (ed. Shi Yafeng) [M]. pp. 55–68. Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Yang Daqing, Jiang Tong, Zhang Yinsheng, and Kang Ersi (1988) Analysis and correction of errors in precipitation measurement at the head of Ürümqi River, Tianshan [J].Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology.10, 384–399 (in Chinese with English absrtact).
Yang Daqing, Kang Ersi, and Blumer F. (1992) Characteristics of precipitation in the source area of the Ürümqi River Basin [J].Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology.14, 258–266 (in Chinese with English absrtact).
Yu S. (1996) CCN cloud climate hypothesis: Chemical role. InNucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols (eds. M. Kulmala and P. E. Wagner) [M]. pp. 915–918. Pergamon.
Yu S. (2000) Role of organic acids formic, acetic, pyruvic and oxalic in the formation of cloud condensation nuclei CCN: A review [J].Atmospheric Research.53, 185–217.
Zhang Yinsheng, Kang Ersi, and Liu Chaohai (1994) Mountain climate analysis in Urumqi River valley, Tianshan [J].Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology.16, 333–341 (in Chinese with English absrtact).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40073035) and the Chinese Acadeny of Sciences.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lee, X., Qin, D., Jiang, W. et al. Tropospheric pyruvate changes in the remote area of northwestern China. Chin. J. Geochem. 24, 201–207 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02871312
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02871312