On the Occurrence of Free Sugars in Lake Sediment Extracts

Abstract

A semi-quantitative method is described for the determination of free sugars in lake sediments.The method involves extraction with 70% ethanol, deionization with ion exchange resins, and separation and estimation of the sugars on paper chromatograms. The following sugars were detected in extracts of sediments from three Ontario lakes : maltose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, galactosc, arabinosc, ribosc, xylosc, and I;wo unknowns. Lake mud sorbs small amounts of sugars from dilute aqueous solution, but the problem of sorption requires more detailed invcstigation before its importance can bc asscsscd. Analysis showed that tcndipedid larvae were not the source of the mud sugars, and theoretical arguments were presented to show that neither were the living bacteria in the sediment.

Aspects of the biogeochemistry of carbohydrates in aquatic environments

“…N HZSO 4) with depth, of the sort observed by Whittaker and Vallentyne (1957), was not found. An irregular temporal variation was observed.…”

“…150-151). Whittaker and Vallentyne (1957) also conducted a study of free sugars in lake muds (Ontario lakes). The analytical techniques employed were similar to those of Vallentyne and Bidwell (1956).…”

“…Prior to the study of Modzeleski et al (1971) provèd difficult because of the variations in extraction techniques and means of identification. For example, free sugars were extracted in either boiling or cold 70% ethanol for 5 minutes to eight hours; in a few instances distilled water alone wa s used as the extractant (Vallentyne and Bidwell, 1956;Whittaker and Vallentyne, 1957;Swain, 1969). Hydrolysis techniques varied widely; e.g., Vallentyne and Bidwell (1956) used .Z5 N HCl for one hour at 100°C; Rogers (1965) used.…”

Glucose flux at the sediment–water interface of Toronto Harbour, Lake Ontario, with reference to pollution stress

“…Vallentyne and Bidwell (25) and Whittaker and Vallentyne (27) found from 14 to 1000 mg/kg ignitable material of glucose in lakes of New England and Ontario. The high concentration of glucose in their samples is possibly related to their rigorous extraction method, in which they used a 70% ethanol and a boiling extraction procedure.…”

Decomposition of Dissolved Carbohydrates Derived from Diatoms of Lake Yuno‐ko

“…The concentration and chemical composition of dissolved carbohydrates in natural freshwaters have been studied by VALLENTYNE & WHITTAKER (1956), WALSH (1965aWALSH ( , b, 1966, HOBBIE & WRIGHT (1965), SUGAWARA & KAMATA (1965) and ALLEN (1969). The chemical composition of carbohydrates in the seston has been determined by WHITTAKER & VALLENTYNE (1957).…”