Gschwend%20thesis.pdf

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fraction represented 0.01% of the initial plant starting material. One
may infer from these data that many. of these compounds were accumu-
lated from the environment (H'S 1-5), while others were synthesized de
novo (6 and 7).
CL
~LI
'Y C.I
cl l.
Other Sources
"' I ..
óc 00 o: c8' ,. ""
o ~l
~ OH
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Volatiles are. also important for marine animal life. Hasler and
Wisby (1951) determined that a volatile material acts as a stream marker
for salmon. Thus, rivers add volatiles to the sea.
Land organisms are an important source .of volatile organic com-
pounds. Several workers have shown that land plants produce and release
tremendous quantities of terpenes (ten carbon branched and cyclic unsat-
urated hydrocarbons) (Went, 1960; Rasmussen and Went, 1965; Rasmussen,
1972; Tyson eta!., 1974; Whitby and Coffey, 1977). It has been estimated
that 2-4 x I08 metric tons of terpenes are released annually (Rasmussen and
Went, 1965; Rasmussen, 1972) to the atmosphere. The major compounds are
alpha and beta pinene and limonene (Rasmussen, 1972). Air measurements
within forests have shown total terpene levels of 50 ng!liter-air (Whitby
and Coffey, 1977). Downwind from the forest, levels between 4 and 11
ng/liter were observed. Still other workers have shown seasonal varia-
tions in these emissions (Zavarin et aL., 1971; Powell et a:l., 1973;
among others).
Land microorganisms also evolve large quantities of volatiles.
Stotzky et al. (1976) have reviewed the subject and have demonstrated
that terpenes, aldehyd es, ketones, and sulfides affect the growth of
various microorganisms.