York scientists’ role in discovery of seaweed’s link to climate
Posted on 9 May 2008
Scientists from the University’s Department of Chemistry were part of an international team that discovered how the antioxidant function of iodide in kelp may have a profound effect on climate in coastal areas by producing molecular iodine and simultaneously removing ozone close to the Earth’s surface.
This work helps to explain why we find so much molecular iodine and so many new particles in coastal regions
Dr Lucy Carpenter
Brown kelps, which are numerous in parts of the world’s oceans, were found to emit large quantities of iodide when under oxidative stress. These ions act as a simple antioxidant by detoxifying atmospheric ozone and other oxidants, and in the process form molecular iodine and atmospheric particles.
The research team included Dr Lucy Carpenter, who studies atmospheric chemistry, and one of her PhD students Carl Palmer. They helped to highlight a previously unknown mechanism for volatile iodine formation from the ocean to the atmosphere. It shows that kelps may play an important role in removing ozone close to the Earth’s surface.
Dr Carpenter said: "This work helps to explain why we find so much molecular iodine and so many new particles in coastal regions. These particles can lead to increased cloud formation, so they may have an impact on our climate."
The international study was headed by the Scottish Association of Marine Science and included contributions from the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the USA, as well as the UK. Its findings are published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). It comes almost 200 years after the element iodine was first discovered.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The Department of Chemistry at the University of York is a large and successful department, with an excellent reputation for both teaching and research. The department was graded 5A in the last Research Assessment Exercise.
- The 2007 National Student Survey rated chemistry courses at York as the best in the UK for overall student satisfaction. It has 47 members of staff including many winners of international prizes, over 420 undergraduate students, approximately 130 postgraduates (mainly studying for PhDs) and 80 research fellows.
- The Department’s laboratories were recently extended and modernised. In 2007 the chemistry department at York was the first academic department in the UK to win a gold award from the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science.