URONIC AND OTHER ORGANIC-ACIDS IN BALTIC SEA AND BLACK SEA SEDIMENTS

Organic acids were released from marine sediments by acid hydrolysis. Ion-exchange chromatography and GC-MS were used to separate and identify the acids. The major compounds detected were galacturonic, glucuronic, mannuronic, 4-O-methylglucuronic, cellobiouronic, guluronic, glyceric, glycolic, lactic and erythronic acids. Numerous biouronic (sugar-uronic acid compounds) and aldonic acids were also found. The low abundance of uronic acids characteristic of terrigenous plants and the similarity of the biouronic composition to that of marine algae indicate a marine algal source for the acids in the sediment. Results from the Black Sea are compared with those from the Baltic Sea and several diagenetic transformations are discussed. © 1978.