Diurnal pattern of acetaldehyde emission by flooded poplar trees

The emission of the tropospheric trace gas acetaldehyde was determined in leaves of 4-month-old poplar trees (Populus tremula x P. alba) grown under controlled environmental conditions in a greenhouse. Using a dynamic cuvette system together with a high sensitivity laser-based photoacoustic detection unit, rates of acetaldehyde emission were measured with the high time resolution of about 15 min. Submergence of the roots resulted in the emission of acetaldehyde by the leaves. The emission increased linearly before reaching more or less steady-state values (ca 350 nmol m -2 min -1 ; ca 470 ng g -1 dry weight min -1 ) after approximately 6 h. Prolonged flooding of poplar trees resulted in a clear diurnal rhythm of acetaldehyde emission. The emission rates decreased when the light was switched off in the evening and peaked in the morning after the light was turned on again. This pattern significantly correlated with diurnal rhythms of stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, transpiration and with the concentrations of ethanol, the assumed precursor of acetaldehyde, in the xylem sap of flooded poplar trees. It may be concluded that under conditions of diminished stomatal conductance, acetaldehyde emission declines because its diffusive flux is reduced. Alternatively, reduced transpiration may decrease ethanol transport from the roots to the shoots and appreciable amounts of the acetaldehyde precursor ethanol are lacking in the leaves. The present results support the view that acetaldehyde emitted by the leaves of plants is derived from ethanol produced by alcoholic fermentation in submerged roots and transported to the leaves with the transpiration stream.

[1]  H. Rennenberg,et al.  Metabolic origin of acetaldehyde emitted by poplar (Populus tremula × P. alba) trees , 1999 .

[2]  F. Kühnemann,et al.  Simultaneous Ethane and Ethylene Detection Using a Co-Overtone Laser Photoacoustic Spectrometer: a New Tool for Stress/damage Studies in Plant Physiology , 1998 .

[3]  J. Reuss,et al.  Dynamics of Acetaldehyde Production during Anoxia and Post-Anoxia in Red Bell Pepper Studied by Photoacoustic Techniques , 1997, Plant physiology.

[4]  R. Steinbrecher,et al.  Investigations on emissions of low molecular weight compounds (C2-C10) from vegetation. , 1997 .

[5]  J. Kesselmeier,et al.  Emission of short chained organic acids, aldehydes and monoterpenes from Quercus ilex L. and Pinus pinea L. in relation to physiological activities, carbon budget and emission algorithms , 1997 .

[6]  H. Rennenberg,et al.  Analysis of uptake and allocation of nitrogen and sulphur compounds by trees in the field , 1996 .

[7]  Larry G. Anderson,et al.  Sources and sinks of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde: An analysis of Denver's ambient concentration data , 1996 .

[8]  C. N. Hewitt,et al.  A global model of natural volatile organic compound emissions , 1995 .

[9]  Patrick R. Zimmerman,et al.  Natural volatile organic compound emission rate estimates for U.S. woodland landscapes , 1994 .

[10]  P. Fraser,et al.  Measurements of trace gases emitted by Australian savanna fires during the 1990 dry season , 1994 .

[11]  Wolfgang Urban,et al.  Recent progress with the CO-overtone Δv=2 laser , 1993 .

[12]  C. N. Hewitt,et al.  Emissions of volatile organic compounds from vegetation and the implications for atmospheric chemistry , 1992 .

[13]  R. Monson,et al.  Isoprene emission rate and intercellular isoprene concentration as influenced by stomatal distribution and conductance. , 1992, Plant Physiology.

[14]  A. Thompson,et al.  The Oxidizing Capacity of the Earth's Atmosphere: Probable Past and Future Changes , 1992, Science.

[15]  K. Kourtidis,et al.  Biosphere/Atmosphere interactions: Integrated research in a European coniferous forest ecosystem , 1992 .

[16]  R. Macdonald,et al.  Ethanol in the stems of trees , 1991 .

[17]  T. Sharkey.  14 – Stomatal Control of Trace Gas Emissions , 1991 .

[18]  D. Grosjean.  Atmospheric chemistry of toxic contaminants 2. Saturated aliphatics: Acetaldehyde, dioxane, ethylene glycol ethers, propylene oxide , 1990 .

[19]  D. Grosjean.  Gas-phase reaction of ozone with 2-methyl-2-butene : dicarbonyl formation from criegee biradicals , 1990 .

[20]  R. Atkinson.  Gas-phase tropospheric chemistry of organic compounds: a review , 1990 .

[21]  Peter Brimblecombe,et al.  The composition of museum atmospheres , 1990 .

[22]  R. Crawford,et al.  Removal of ethanol from lodgepole pine roots. , 1989, Tree physiology.

[23]  P. Carlier,et al.  The chemistry of carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere—A review , 1986 .

[24]  F. Lipari,et al.  Aldehyde emissions from wood-burning fireplaces. , 1984, Environmental science & technology.

[25]  Y. Kiso,et al.  Determination of aliphatic aldehydes in air by liquid chromatography , 1983 .

[26]  T. Graedel.  Terpenoids in the atmosphere , 1979 .

[27]  P. F. Scholander,et al.  Sap Pressure in Vascular Plants , 1965, Science.