Abstract
Experiments are described in which we used a mass spectrometer to monitor O2 uptake of enclosed soil samples as a function of temperature. We found that an Arrhenius plot of the rate of O2 uptake showed pronounced local maxima attributable to biological activity, whereas similar plots of rates obtained with abiotic soils yielded straight lines. This procedure thus provides a basis for distinguishing biological from chemical activity for reactions, such as O2 uptake, that can occur via either biological or chemical pathways.
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Selected References
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