Optical characterization of CDOM in a marsh-influenced environment in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary

To elucidate the influence of tidal marshes on the amount and chemical structure of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in adjacent coastal waters, surface water samples were collected along three cross-marsh transects in tidal marshes within the Changjiang Estuary. In addition, three sediment cores were collected from the marshes and incubated for 10 h in the laboratory after adding overlying tidal waters. Nutrients, DOC, absorption, fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy, and other parameters were measured in these samples, which clearly illustrated releases by the tidal marshes of DOC, and CDOM absorbent and fluorescent molecules. To characterize the chemical nature of the marsh-derived CDOM, variations in a suite of optical indices (including molar absorptivity, absorption spectral slope, fluorescence quantum yield, and fluorescence ratios between certain excitation/emission locations) in these samples were plotted against the offshore distance of the stations as well as the incubation time. From the literature, it has been suggested that these variations are closely associated with molecular weight, aromaticity, and humic/fulvic or allochthonous/autochthonous ratios in the CDOM mixtures. This study showed that the CDOM fluorophores changed to more humic-like and were less protein-like from sea to land across the marsh gradients. Furthermore, subtractions between EEM spectra before and after laboratory incubations were applied to illustrate in greater detail the properties of the pure fluorescent compounds exchanged at the sediment–overlying water interface.     

卤水中溶解性有机质的光谱学性质和光降解行为研究

卤水中溶解性有机质(dissolved organic matter,DOM)会对盐田日晒工艺和产品质量产生不利影响,如盐田卤水的蒸发速率减缓、蒸发度减小以及提取的矿物产品带有刺鼻的气味、浓重的颜色等。因此,对具有资源开发利用价值的卤水体系中DOM结构和性质的研究可以为后续DOM的有效去除或在DOM共存体系中调控无机盐结晶工艺路线提供有效的指导意见。本文以自然界中广泛存在的两种不同类型的卤水体系,即盐湖卤水DOM(SLDOM)和油田卤水DOM(OFDOM)为研究对象,采用溶解性有机碳(dissolved organic carbon,DOC)分析、光谱学分析和平行因子分析等手段对DOM的含量、分子量分布特征、光谱学结构和光降解行为开展了研究。DOC和荧光分析表明SLDOM和OFDOM的DOC含量和生物指数(BIX)值相似;与OFDOM相比,SLDOM的腐质化指数(HIX)值和高分子量组分(HMW)比例偏高;特别吸收光谱(SUVA₂₅₄)和糖类化合物含量检测结果表明,SLDOM和OFDOM的HMW组分中含有的芳香类和糖类化合物所占比例比低分子量组分(LMW)高;三维荧光谱图分析(EEM)结果表明,SLDOM主要以腐殖质类物质为主,而OFDOM以蛋白质类组分为主。此外,DOM的荧光组分在不同分子量中的分布也存在明显差异:对于SLDOM,富里酸主要分布在HMW DOM中,而腐殖酸主要在LMW DOM中;对于OFDOM,芳香胺类蛋白组分主要分布在HMW DOM中,色氨酸和酪氨酸类蛋白组分主要分布在LMM DOM中。在光降解实验中,SLDOM和OFDOM的DOC含量随光照时间增加而逐渐减少,分别下降了29.32%和15.11%。进一步的分析表明,光照过程中两种卤水中糖类化合物均减少,小分子量的DOM优先分解。此外,在光照过程中SLDOM芳香类化合物增加,腐质化程度基本不变;OFDOM芳香类化合物减少,腐质化程度增加。EEM平行因子分析(PARAFAC)结果表明,SLDOM荧光组分在光降解过程中荧光强度增加,而OFDOM荧光强度减少。     

Multi-method study of the characteristic chemical nature of aquatic humic substances isolated from the Han River,Korea

Natural organic matter (NOM) from the Han River, Korea was fractionated into humic and non-humic fractions by absorbing onto XAD-7HP, and these fractions were analyzed using UV-absorption, and for dissolved organic C (DOC). The humic fraction (i.e. humic substances; HS) was extracted and its characteristics were compared to commercial humic materials using various spectroscopic methods such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) and fluorescence spectroscopy. The humic fraction as organic C was 47.0% on the average, however, a rainfall event brought a higher humic fraction into Han River water. The molar ratios of H/C and O/C in the HS from Han River water (HRHS) were 1.40 and 0.76, respectively, and the ratio of aliphatic to aromatic protons in the HS (P_Al/P_Ar ratio) was 5.8. Aromaticity and humification degree (i.e., degree of condensation) of HRHS were relatively lower than those from other humic materials, while the portion of oxygenated functional groups was relatively higher. FT-IR, ¹H-NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy showed distinct differences between HRHS and the commercial humic materials. Commercial humic materials are not representative of HS extracted from Han River water. The fluorescence spectra, relatively simple measurements, were found to be most useful as fingerprints for humic materials from particular sources.     

Characterization of groundwater humic substances: influence of sedimentary organic carbon

A total of 35 groundwaters from 4 different aquifer systems in Germany are investigated for their physico-chemical properties, dissolved organic C (DOC) and humic and fulvic acids. Humic substances are isolated and characterized for their elemental composition, UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopic properties, size distribution by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and ¹⁴C content. For isolation of sufficient quantities of humic substances a mobile sampling system is developed based on a combination of reverse osmosis (RO) and XAD–8 adsorption chromatography. One of the aquifer systems (Gorleben) covers a wide range of hydrogeochemical conditions, whereas the other 3 aquifer systems (Munich, Franconian Albvorland and Fuhrberg) have less diverse properties. One specific feature of the Gorleben aquifer system is the presence of a very high DOC, which, in contrast to other aquifer systems, contains considerable amounts of aquatic humic acid. This is attributed to the release of aquatic humic substances originating from sedimentary organic C (SOC) that is abundant in Gorleben sediments. The results show that aquatic humic substances from different aquifer systems have dissimilar properties which differ from one another. Systematic differences are found among humic substances from different regions of the Gorleben aquifer system. Such differences are considered to be caused by the mixing of humic substances from the SOC. However, exact quantification of such mixing appears difficult because overlapping effects of different geochemical processes feigning a dissolution of SOC cannot be excluded.     

Variability in dissolved organic matter fluorescence and reduced sulfur concentration in coastal marine and estuarine environments

Fluorescence characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and measurements of Cr-reducible sulfide (CRS) are presented for 72 coastal marine and estuarine water samples obtained from the USA and Canada. Each sample is identified according to source: terrigenous, autochthonous, wastewater or mixed. Fluorescence data are resolved into contributions from humic, fulvic, tyrosine and tryptophan-like fluorophores. Humic and fulvic-like fluorophores correlate well with dissolved organic C (DOC) (r² = 0.73 and 0.71, respectively) but tyrosine and tryptophan-like fluorophores show no correlation with DOC. Quality factors are identified by normalization of fluorescence contributions to DOC. Humic and fulvic components show no statistical differences between sources but the amino acid-like fluorescence quality factors show significant variations between source, with highest values for autochthonous sources (0.07 ± 0.01 arbitrary fluorescence units per mg of C) versus low values (0.015 ± 0.005) for terrigenous source waters. CRS concentrations are highly variable from 0.07 ± 0.01 to 7703 ± 98 nM and do no correlate with DOC except when terrigenous source waters (n = 13) are separated out from the total sample set (r² = 0.55). There is an open question in the literature; does DOC source matter in terms of protective effects towards metal toxicity? Here is shown that DOC molecular-level quality does vary and that this variation is mostly in terms of the contributions of amino acids to total fluorescence.     

Comparative characterization of humic substances from the open ocean, estuarine water and fresh water

Humic substances were isolated from ocean, estuarine water and fresh water using a two column array of XAD-8 and XAD-4 resins in series. The extracted fulvic acids and XAD-4 fraction from different origins were characterized using UV–vis., molecular fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and cross polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS)-¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The isolation procedure allowed us to obtain the necessary amount of sample for characterization, even in the case of open ocean water, which has a very low amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Humic substances from the open ocean showed the lowest chromophore and fluorophore contents and showed relatively greater fluorescence at lower wavelengths than those from fresh water. FTIR and ¹³C NMR spectra highlighted the idea that humic substances from a marine environment have a more branched aliphatic structure and less aromatic structure than those highly influenced by terrestrial sources. The spectra also suggest that the open ocean humic substances have a higher content of olefinic carbons than aromatic- or alkyl-substituted carbons.     

Nature and reactions of dissolved organic matter in the interstitial waters of marine sediments

Two organic rich sediments, an oxic muddy sand and a silty mud containing sulphate reducing and methane producing metabolic zones, were sampled from Loch Duich, a fjord type estuary in the N.W. coast of Scotland. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), as measured by dry combustion and UV absorption, remained constant (8.3–15.8 mg C/l) with depth in the oxic pore waters at a concentration at least twice that of the overlying seawater. DOC in the anoxic pore waters increased linearly with depth from 13.6 at the surface to 55.9–70.5 mg C/l at 80cm. Most of the DOC was present in the high molecular weight (HMW) fraction as separated by ultrafiltration; the low molecular weight (LMW) fraction remained constant (10.0 mg C/l) in both oxic and anoxic pore waters. Spectroscopic data showed the ‘humic’ fraction of the HMW dissolved organic matter was mainly fulvic acid, a small proportion (approx 1%) of humic acid, and a third fraction, possibly melanoidins, which increased relative to fulvic acid with depth. These data confirm the pathway of humification (NissenBaum et al, 1971; nissenbaum and Kaplan, 1972) where HMW organic matter accumulates in pore waters as condensation products of LMW organic substances.     

江汉平原高砷地下水中DOM三维荧光特征及其指示意义

水体中溶解性有机质(dissolved organic matter, DOM)是含水层中砷释放的主控因素之一.江汉平原河湖众多、沟渠广布,地表水体与浅层地下水的交互作用使得DOM的组分特征及其强度有显著差异.为查明江汉平原地下水中溶解性有机质在砷迁移转化过程中的作用,对江汉平原地表水和浅层地下水进行三维荧光光谱分析,使用平行因子分析法提取水体中有机质的分子组成、功能特点和荧光特征,并分析各组分相对含量与地下水中砷与铁的关联.江汉平原水体中DOM包括3种主要组分,组分C1、C2为类腐殖质,C2是生物降解过程中产生的小分子,C3为类蛋白物质.地下水DOM以类腐殖质组分C1、C2为主,地表水以类蛋白类物质C3和小分子腐殖质C2为主.高砷地下水中DOM以陆源为主,主要通过两种途径促进As的迁移转化:(1) DOM的腐殖质组分充当微生物群落的电子运输工具,促进微生物作用下的有机质氧化和铁氧化物的还原,并伴随As的释放及大量溶解性有机碳(dissolved organic carbon, DOC)和HCO₃-的产生;(2) As以铁等金属阳离子为桥接物与腐殖质结合,通过形成As-Fe-DOM络合物,导致地下水中砷的迁移.      

Structural analysis of sea loch sedimentary humic substances by 13C1H dipolar dephasing NMR

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques have been applied to the structural characterization of humic substances isolated from an organic-rich sediment in Loch Thurnaig, northwest Scotland. Both the sedimentary humic acid (SHA) and sedimentary fulvic acid (SFA) fractions from Loch Thurnaig contained substantial quantities of carboxylic and alkyl carbon with a small contribution (26 and 22% respectively) of aromatic/olefinic carbon atoms. The latter structures were shown by dipolar dephasing ¹³C NMR to be largely non-protonated. Differences in the alkyl structures of the two fractions were noted, with the SHA containing a larger amount of branched chain aliphatic material. As branched chain compounds are more resistant to microbial degradation than straight chain compounds, this may indicate that SHA is the older, more refractory fraction of the sedimentary organic matter, although it is possible that the results reflect different algal precursor material. The fraction of aromatic carbon was higher in the SHA than in the SFA as is generally found for humic and fulvic acids isolated from the same source. The low aromaticities and highly branched aliphatic structures show that the sedimentary humic substances from the loch resemble dissolved marine humic substances rather than their terrestrial counterparts.     

Models of natural organic matter and interactions with organic contaminants

Adsorption of organic contaminants onto soils, sediments and other particulates has the potential to be a major controlling factor in their bioavailability, fate and behavior in the environment. Models for estimating the amount and stability of sorbed organic contaminants based on the fraction of organic carbon in a soil or sediment can oversimplify the process of sorption in the environment. In order to help understand sorption of organic contaminants in soils and sediments, we modeled various components of natural organic matter (NOM) that are possible substrates for sorption. These substrates include soot particles, lignin, humic and fulvic acids. The molecular scale interactions of selected aromatic hydrocarbons with different substrates were also simulated. Results of the simulations include the 3-D structures of the NOM components, changes in structure with protonation state and solvation and the sorption energy between PAH and substrate. This last parameter is an indicator of the amount of contaminant that will sorb and the energy required to free the contaminant from the substrate. Although the simulation results presented in this paper represent a first-order examination of NOM and contaminant interactions, the findings highlight a number of essential features that should be included in future molecular models of NOM and contaminant sorption.     

Effects of heat treatment on fluorescence properties of humic substances from sandy soil in arid land and their Hg(II) binding behaviors

The topsoil temperature in arid areas of Xinjiang, China can be up to about 80°C in summer. This may significantly affect the chemical properties of soil humic substances. However, the effects of high temperature on characteristics of soil humic substances and their complexation with toxic metals are still poorly known. In the present study, binding of Hg(II) to unheated soil humic substances and heated soil humic substances from sandy soils was comparatively investigated using three-dimensional excitation?Cemission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy. Two fluorescent peaks (peak I at Ex/Em?=?365?C370/470?C474?nm; peak II at Ex/Em?=?270?C275/468?C472?nm) identified as humic-like fluorescence were observed in the EEM spectra of humic substances. Both peaks were clearly quenched by Hg(II), indicating the strong interaction of humic-like substances with Hg(II), and showed blue shifts after heat treatment. Heat treatment caused an increase of the fraction of accessible fluorophore (f _a), binding sites number (n) and effective quenching constants (logK _a), indicating that more binding sites in humic substances could bind Hg(II) and form more stable humic substances?CHg(II) complexes after heat treatment. However, a decrease of binding constants (logK _b) suggested that heat treatment would reduce the binding capacity of each binding site of humic substances to Hg(II). This study implies the transport of Hg(II) may be affected by high temperature in the arid zone due to the modification of the physicochemical properties of humic substances in soil.     

[1H] and [13C]NMR studies on the importance of aromatic structures in fulvic and humic acids

To obtain information on the contribution of aromatic fragments to the chemical structure of humic substances, we carried out a study on the [¹H]NMR and [¹³C]NMR spectra of humic and fulvic acids and their oxidative degradation products extracted from an Andosol soil.[¹H]NMR spectra of all organic fractions present considerable adsorption between 7.4 and 8.8 ppm, due to the presence of aromatic protons.The percentages of aromatic protons in respect to the total amount of protons are as follows: FA 20%, HA 19%, degraded FA < 12%, degraded HA 14%. The values indicate that the contribution of aromatic structures to the humic substances is significant, also considering that they are highly substituted.The degraded fractions contain smaller amounts of aromatic protons, because degradation causes the opening of the aromatic rings. Thus results obtained from the degradation do not seem to be reliable for defining the importance of aromatic structures in humic substances.Also the [¹³C]NMR spectra show signals in the aromatic region which derive from unsubstituted carbon atoms, while signals originating from tertiary carbon atoms merge with the noise. We believe that, at present, [¹H]NMR spectroscopy is more suited for studying the role played by aromatic compounds in organic soil fractions.     

Proton-binding study of standard and reference fulvic acids, humic acids, and natural organic matter

The acid-base properties of 14 standard and reference materials from the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) were investigated by potentiometric titration. Titrations were conducted in 0.1 M NaCl under a nitrogen atmosphere, averaging 30 min from start to finish. Concentrations of carboxyl groups and phenolic groups were estimated directly from titration curves. Titration data were also fit to a modified Henderson-Hasselbalch model for two classes of proton-binding sites to obtain “best fit” parameters that describe proton-binding curves for the samples. The model was chosen for its simplicity, its ease of implementation in computer spreadsheets, and its excellent ability to describe the shapes of the titration curves. The carboxyl contents of the IHSS samples are in the general order: terrestrial fulvic acids > aquatic fulvic acids > Suwannee River natural organic matter (NOM) > aquatic humic acids > terrestrial humic acids. Overall, fulvic acids and humic acids have similar phenolic contents; however, all of the aquatically derived samples have higher phenolic contents than the terrestrially derived samples. The acid-base properties of reference Suwannee River NOM are surprisingly similar to those of standard Suwannee River humic acid. Results from titrations in this study were compared with other published results from both direct and indirect titrations. Typically, carboxyl contents for the IHSS samples were in agreement with the results from both methods of titration. Phenolic contents for the IHSS samples were comparable to those determined by direct titrations, but were significantly less than estimates of phenolic content that were based on indirect titrations with Ba(OH)₂ and Ca(OAc)₂. The average phenolic-to-carboxylic ratio of the IHSS samples is approximately 1:4. Models that assume a 1:2 ratio of phenolic-to-carboxylic groups may overestimate the relative contribution of phenolic groups to the acid-base chemistry of humic substances.     

Ligand extraction of rare earth elements from aquifer sediments: Implications for rare earth element complexation with organic matter in natural waters

The ability of organic matter as well as carbonate ions to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from sandy sediments of a Coastal Plain aquifer was investigated for unpurified organic matter from different sources (i.e., Mississippi River natural organic matter, Aldrich humic acid, Nordic aquatic fulvic acid, Suwannee River fulvic acid, and Suwannee River natural organic matter) and for extraction solutions containing weak (i.e., CH₃COO⁻) or strong (i.e., ) ligands. The experimental results indicate that, in the absence of strong REE complexing ligands in solution, the amount of REEs released from the sand is small and the fractionation pattern of the released REEs appears to be controlled by the surface stability constants for REE sorption with Fe(III) oxides/oxyhydroxides. In the presence of strong solution complexing ligands, however, the amount and the fractionation pattern of the released REEs reflect the strength and variation of the stability constants of the dominant aqueous REE species across the REE series. The varying amount of REEs extracted by the different organic matter employed in the experiments indicates that organic matter from different sources has different complexing capacity for REEs. However, the fractionation pattern of REEs extracted by the various organic matter used in our experiments is remarkable consistent, being independent of the source and the concentration of organic matter used, as well as solution pH. Because natural aquifer sand and unpurified organic matter were used in our experiments, our experimental conditions are more broadly similar to natural systems than many previous laboratory experiments of REE-humic complexation that employed purified humic substances. Our results suggest that the REE loading effect on REE-humic complexation is negligible in natural waters as more abundant metal cations (e.g., Fe, Al) out-compete REEs for strong binding sites on organic matter. More specifically, our results indicate that REE complexation with organic matter in natural waters is dominated by REE binding to weak sites on dissolved organic matter, which subsequently leads to a middle REE (MREE: Sm-Ho)-enriched fractionation pattern. The experiments also indicate that carbonate ions may effectively compete with fulvic acid in binding with dissolved REEs, but cannot out compete humic acids for REEs. Therefore, in natural waters where low molecular weight (LMW) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the predominant form of DOC (e.g., lower Mississippi River water), REEs occur as “truly” dissolved species by complexing with carbonate ions as well as FA, resulting in heavy REE (HREE: Er-Lu)-enriched shale-normalized fractionation patterns. Whereas, in natural terrestrial waters where REE speciation is dominated by organic complexes with high molecular weight DOC (e.g., “colloidal” HA), only MREE-enriched fractionation patterns will be observed because the more abundant, weak sites preferentially complex MREEs relative to HREEs and light REEs (LREEs: La-Nd).     

Molecular size of aquatic humic substances

Aquatic humic substances, which account for 30 to 50% of the organic carbon in water, are a principal component of aquatic organic matter. The molecular size of aquatic humic substances, determined by small-angle X-ray scattering, varies from 4.7 to 33 Å in their radius of gyration, corresponding to a molecular weight range of 500 to greater than 10,000. The aquatic fulvic acid fraction contains substances with molecular weights ranging from 500 to 2000 and is monodisperse, whereas the aquatic humic acid fraction contains substances with molecular weights ranging from 1000 to greater than 10,000 and is generally polydisperse.     

砂岩铀矿成矿过程中有机质作用的实验研究--以吐鲁番-哈密盆地十红滩铀矿床为例

本文利用采自吐鲁番-哈密盆地西南部的样品,有针对性地做了一系列有机质抽提及分离实验,即①利用氯仿抽提岩石中有机质实验;②利用CS2-NmP(二硫化碳-N-甲基-2吡咯烷酮)抽提岩石中有机质实验;③腐殖质提取及分离实验。以上有机质抽提物及分离物分别做铀含量测试。通过实验发现,按以上实验顺序．岩石有机质提取物或分离物中铀含量依次有不同程度的提高,其中以腐殖质中分离出的黄腐酸(Fulvic acids)中铀含量最高,说明在吐哈盆地西南部砂岩铀矿的形成过程中有机质(主要是腐殖质和沥青质)的吸附作用起到部分作用．起最主要作用的是黄腐酸,而且与铀酰离子是以络合(或螯合)形式进行迁移。通过实验和分析,作者认为腐殖质(Humic substances)的络合作用和吸附作用在铀的迁移过程中是紧密相联的,而不是互相孤立的两种作用。在铀的迁移和沉淀富集过程中,黄腐酸(Fulvic acids)和腐殖酸(Humic acids)分别起到不同作用。     

Surface complexation model of boron adsorption by calcareous soils

This study aimed to evaluate boron (B) adsorption and the capacity of a surface complexation model for simulating this process in calcareous soils. Ten surface soils were collected from different land use areas in Hamedan, Western Iran, to characterize B sorption by soils. The mean B adsorbed by the sample soils varied from 8.9 to 32.8 %. Two empirical models including linear and Freundlich equations fitted well to the experimental data. The linear distribution (K _d) values varied from 1.32 to 6.86 L kg^?1, while the parameters of Freundlich equation including n and K _Fr ranged from 1.16 to 1.33 and 3.31–16.81, respectively. The comparison of two empirical models indicated that B adsorption followed a nonlinear pattern. The soil organic matter had positive correlations with Freundlich and linear distribution coefficients. However, empirical models were not suitable for explaining the mechanism of B adsorption, so a surface complexation model was used to simulate and predict the B adsorption process. B adsorption modeling was conducted using Visual MINTEQ and PHREEQC, based on the assemblage of major surface components (hydrous ferric oxides, aluminum hydroxides, calcium carbonate, and humic acids). B adsorption was successfully modeled by surface complexation. The significant contribution of organic matter to B complexes was resulted from both experimental data and mechanistic modeling.     

Relationships between DOC concentration,molecular size and fluorescence properties of DOM in a stream

The patterns of dissolved organic matter (DOM) fluorescence properties were examined in a Precambrian shield stream over a seven-month field study. Unique spatial and temporal patterns of simultaneous changes were observed in dissolved organic carbon concentration (DOC), humic-like fluorescence intensity, maximum excitation and emission wavelengths and fluorescence index (the ratio of the emission intensity at a wavelength of 450 nm to that at 500 nm at an excitation wavelength of 370 nm). The spatial change indicates the alteration of DOM along the length of the stream, and temporal change corresponded to a drought event in August. In contrast to humic-like fluorescence, the protein-like fluorescence shows considerable variability, suggesting its ephemeral nature. There were strong relationships between humic-like fluorescence intensity, fluorescence index, maximum Ex/Em wavelengths, DOC concentration and molecular size of DOM. This study has significant implications to the understanding of the nature and biogeochemical cycling of DOM.     

Ultraviolet-visible and fluorescence spectral evidence of natural organic matter (NOM) changes along an estuarine salinity gradient

A transect of the St Marys River estuary from above the point of maximum salt wedge penetration to coastal salinities was conducted in July 1999. None of the parameters examined—dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content, UV light absorbance at 254 nm, and Total Luminescence spectra—follow the rule of conservative mixing. The characteristics of the different molecular size fractions of the St Marys River natural organic matter (NOM), as well as the results of a laboratory mixing experiment, provided evidence that loss of larger molecular size compounds from riverine NOM may occur by coagulation at salinities up to 10. An apparent gain of carbon in the lower estuary was attributed to exports from abundant coastal marshes in this area. The Total Luminescence spectra of the riverine NOM can be described by two peaks, centered respectively around 340/445 nm, and 230/430 nm Excitation/Emission Wavelength Pair (EEWP), which are characteristic of humic materials of aquatic origin. The samples from the high salinity stations exhibit peaks at lower emission wavelength EEWP 320/424 nm, which can be considered as marine humic-like material. The presence of amino acid-tryptophan like peaks were observed, with EEWP 300/350 nm in some of the high salinity samples. This peak was of high relative fluorescence intensity. It is hypothesized that the intense biological activity of the salt marsh and near coastal area is responsible for the carbon addition as well as the appearance of the highly fluorescence amino acid-protein like material.     

Sources of sedimentary humic substances: vascular plant debris

A modern Washington continental shelf sediment was fractionated densimetrically using either an organic solvent, CBrCl₃, or aqueous ZnCl₂. The resulting low density materials (<2.06 g/ml) account for only 1% of the sediment mass but contain 25% of the sedimentary organic carbon and 53% of the lignin. The C/N ratios (30–40) and lignin phenol yields ($\text{Λ = 8}$) and compositions indicate that the low density materials are essentially pure vascular plant debris which is slightly enriched in woody (versus nonwoody) tissues compared to the bulk sediment. The low density materials yield approximately one-third of their organic carbon as humic substances and contribute 23% and 14% of the total sedimentary humic and fulvic acids, respectively. Assuming that the lignin remaining in the sedimentary fraction is also contained in plant fragments that yield similar levels of humic substances, then 50% and 30% of the total humic and fulvic acids, respectively, arise directly from plant debris.Base-extraction of fresh and naturally degraded vascular plant materials reveals that significant levels of humic and fulvic acids are obtained using classical extraction techniques. Approximately 1–2% of the carbon from fresh woods and 10–25% from leaves and bark were isolated as humic acids and 2–4 times those levels as fulvic acids. A highly degraded hardwood yielded up to 44% of its carbon as humic and fulvic acids. The humic acids from fresh plants are generally enriched in lignin components relative to carbohydrates and recognizable biochemicals account for up to 50% of the total carbon. Humic and fulvic acids extracted directly from sedimentary plant debris could be responsible for a major fraction of the biochemical component of humic substances.