Marine phosphate availability and the chemical origins of life on Earth

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32815-x
• Publication Date: 2022-09-02T11:23:27Z
• Authors: Matthew P. Brady; Rosalie Tostevin; Nicholas J. Tosca
• Keywords: Hadean; Early Earth; Abiogenesis; Extraterrestrial Life; Phosphate minerals

Abstract Prebiotic systems chemistry suggests that high phosphate concentrations were necessary to synthesise molecular building blocks and sustain primitive cellular systems. However, current understanding of mineral solubility predicts negligible for most natural waters, yet the role Fe 2+ , ubiquitous on early Earth, is poorly quantified. Here we determine Fe(II)-phosphate in synthetic seawater as a function pH ionic strength, integrate these observations into thermodynamic model across range aquatic conditions, validate predictions against modern anoxic sediment pore waters. Experiments models show significantly increases all minerals systems, suggesting Hadean Archean featured ~10 3 –10 4 times higher than currently estimated. This readily met phosphorus requirements emergent microbial life, perhaps fueling primary production during advent oxygenic photosynthesis.