Evidence of magnetic isotope effects during thermochemical sulfate reduction.

Thermochemical sulfate reduction experiments with simple amino acid and dilute concentrations of sulfate reveal significant degrees of mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation. Enrichments of up to 13‰ for (33)S are attributed to a magnetic isotope effect (MIE) associated with the formation of thiol-disulfide, ion-radical pairs. Observed (36)S depletions in products are explained here by classical (mass-dependent) isotope effects and mixing processes. The experimental data contrasts strongly with multiple sulfur isotope trends in Archean samples, which exhibit significant (36)S anomalies. These results support an origin other than thermochemical sulfate reduction for the mass-independent signals observed for early Earth samples.