Effect of Dunaliella tertiolecta Organic Exudates on the Fe(II) Oxidation Kinetics in Seawater

The role played by the natural organic ligands excreted by the green algae Dunaliella tertiolecta on the Fe(II) oxidation rate constants was studied at different stages of growth. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon increased from 2.1 to 7.1 mg L-1 over time of culture. The oxidation kinetics of Fe(II) was studied at nanomolar levels and under different physicochemical conditions of pH (7.2-8.2), temperature (5-35 degrees C), salinity (10-37), and dissolved organic carbon produced by cells (2.1-7.1 mg L-1). The experimental rate always decreased in the presence of organic exudates with respect to that in the control seawater. The Fe(II) oxidation rate constant was also studied in the context of Marcus theory, where Delta G degrees was 39.31-51.48 kJ mol(-1). A kinetic modeling approach was applied for computing the equilibrium and rate constants for Fe(II) and exudates present in solution, the Fe(II) speciation, and the contribution of each Fe(II) species to the overall oxidation rate constant. The best fit model took into account two acidity equilibrium constants for the Fe(II) complexing ligands with pK(a,1) = 9.45 and pK(a,2) = 4.9. The Fe(II) complexing constants were KFe(II)-LH = 3 x 10(10) and KFe(II)-L =10(7), and the corresponding computed oxidation rates were 68 +/- 2 and 36 +/- 8 M-1 min(-1), respectively.