Fluorescence characteristics of water soluble organic carbon in eastern China

1 Introduction Water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) was defined as the entire pool of water soluble organic carbon either sorbed on soil or sediment particles or dissolved in interstitial pore water1]. It has been recognized that dissolved organic carbon acts as a carrier for trace metals and persistent organic contaminants in soil and surface water2,3]. Besides, dissolved organic carbon in water is one of the important precursors for generating trihalomethanes and other chlorinated produc…

Fluorescence characteristics of water soluble organic carbon in eastern China

Fluorescence excitation and average molecular weight of 46 water soluble organic matter (WSOC) samples extracted from 20 soil types in eastern China were determined. It was found all samples shared similar spectroscopy. A good linear relationship existed between total organic carbon and excitation in the range of 350 to 450 nm though the content of organic carbon and pH of the samples vary in a wide range. No significant correlation between relative excitation intensity and average molecular weight of WSOC and FA was found, but the partial correlation became significant with pH as the controlling factor for WSOC samples. The relative excitation intensity showed a general trend of increasing from south to north in the study area. The pH value might play an important role in regulating the fluorescent spatial variation of WSOC. S153 A