| Abstract: | An ultrafiltration methodology and the results of its application on Elbe river water are presented. Compared with other methods, Ultrafiltration allows fractionation of the molecular-weight fractions of DOC for higher volumes of solution in a shorter time. To characterize the molecular-weight fractions, the sum parameter DOC (β(DOC)) and the absorption coefficient at 254 nm a254 were measured, together with determination of a254/ β(DOC) for further characterization of the DOC fractions and to provide information about changes in parts of the UV-active substances of the total dissolved organic material. In the period May 1992 to November 1994, the DOC molecular-weight composition of 65 samples of Elbe river water were determined. At two sampling locations (Torgau-East and Meissen), the DOC content β(DOC) was approximately 6 mg/L. The high-molecular weight fraction (> 10000 g/mol) gave a mean of 13% of the total DOC content β0(DOC). The measurements showed that the molecular composition of DOC in the Elbe does not greatly differ. There was also no clear seasonal influence on the molecular-weight composition of the DOC content. During the period of investigation, the percentage part of β(DOC) and a254/β(DOC) of the high-molecular weight fraction of the total dissolved organic material increased, while the a254/β(DOC) values of the middle molecular-weight fraction remained fairly constant. The dependence of β(DOC) on discharge of the Elbe river is low. Changes in molecularweight composition of DOC were only observed during the steepest increase in river discharge during a flood event, with another spectrum of substances responsible for the increase in β(DOC) when compared with the β(DOC) for low or middle water level. |
