The Role of Organic Matter in Natural Aquatic Systems: Analytical Constraints

The dissolved organic matter in aquatic systems consists of a heterogeneous mixture of compounds with wide ranging chemical properties and diverse origins. the presence of organic matter (OM) in surface and ground waters has important implications with regard to the mobility and therefore fate of many potential organic and inorganic pollutants. the majority of the analytical approaches in current use require exhaustive pre-treatment steps which may lead to the formation of artefacts within the sample. an analytical technique based upon gel permeation chromatography is proposed as a more reliable procedure for the characterisation of naturally occurring dissolved organic matter.     

Isolation and Chemical Characterization of Dissolved and Colloidal Organic Matter

An overview of the methods used for the isolation and characterization of organic matter in natural waters is presented. Commonly used techniques for the concentration and isolation of organic matter from water, such as preparative chromatography, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, and the methods used to analyze the organic matter obtained by these methods are reviewed. the development of methods to obtain organic matter that is associated with fractions of the dissolved organic carbon other than humic substances, such as organic bases, hydrophilic organic acids and colloidal organic matter are discussed. Methods specifically used to study dissolved organic nitrogen and dissolved organic phosphorous are also discussed.     

Isolation and Chemical Characterization of Dissolved and Colloidal Organic Matter

An overview of the methods used for the isolation and characterization of organic matter in natural waters is presented. Commonly used techniques for the concentration and isolation of organic matter from water, such as preparative chromatography, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, and the methods used to analyze the organic matter obtained by these methods are reviewed. the development of methods to obtain organic matter that is associated with fractions of the dissolved organic carbon other than humic substances, such as organic bases, hydrophilic organic acids and colloidal organic matter are discussed. Methods specifically used to study dissolved organic nitrogen and dissolved organic phosphorous are also discussed.     

Variability of dissolved organic matter in northern adriatic coastal waters

The results obtained in the four seasonal cruises planned in the PRISMA II project are reported. These concern dissolved and colloidal organic carbon, free amino acids and total dissolved carbohydrates and heterotrophic activity. Main factors controlling organic matter degradation, resulting from laboratory tests not planned in the above project, are also discussed. Dissolved organic matter shows seasonal accumulation, which may be markedly different from year to year, and large contributions by colloidal and saccharide components. Heterotrophic activities play an important role in the carbon cycle, although laboratory runs highlight limitations caused by aging of organic matter and phosphorus deficiency.     

VARIABILITY OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER IN NORTHERN ADRIATIC COASTAL WATERS

The results obtained in the four seasonal cruises planned in the PRISMA II project are reported. These concern dissolved and colloidal organic carbon, free amino acids and total dissolved carbohydrates and heterotrophic activity. Main factors controlling organic matter degradation, resulting from laboratory tests not planned in the above project, are also discussed. Dissolved organic matter shows seasonal accumulation, which may be markedly different from year to year, and large contributions by colloidal and saccharide components. Heterotrophic activities play an important role in the carbon cycle, although laboratory runs highlight limitations caused by aging of organic matter and phosphorus deficiency.     

The Influence of Anthropogenic Contamination On Metals Release From Coastal Sediment Suspensions with Aerated Sea Water

The zinc, cadmium, copper and lead release from the uncontaminated and contaminated coastal sediments with aerated sea water was studied. the metals transfer to the dissolved forms was monitored during one-two months by differential pulse anodic voltammetry (DPASV). the sediments with different initial degree of contamination were sampled in the Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan around Vladivostok-the biggest city in Russian Far East. Sediment contamination by metals led to increased release to solution of zinc due to sulphide oxidation and cadmium on account of organic matter decomposition. the copper behaviour was complicated by strong binding with organic matter and enhancements of copper release can only be seen in sediment with a low organic matter content. Significant lead transfer to dissolved forms was not observed regardless of sediment contamination. the temperature affected the release of cadmium and copper through enhanced organic matter destruction. the dissolved metal fluxes from the sediment transformation are compared with metal fluxes towards bottom. Such comparisons show that second contamination by dissolved metals of the studied coastal environment may be important for cadmium only.     

Dissolved organic substances during a Phaeocystis pouchetii bloom in the German Bight (North Sea)

Dissolved organic substances (carbohydrates, organic nitrogen, free amino acids) were measured in the German Bight (North Sea) in June, 1981. During and before this survey, sea foam was observed in the east Frisian coastal water and it accumulated on the nearby beaches to an unusually high extent. In this coastal water area, a large Phaeocystis pouchetii Lagerheim bloom and very high concentrations of dissolved organic matter were found. The above dissolved organic substances were all positively correlated to a highly significant degree with P. pouchetii cell numbers in the bloom area. An influence of salinity (or river water) on this correlation could be excluded. Thus, exudation or decomposition products of P. pouchetii were most likely the cause of the unusually high concentrations of dissolved organic matter in the bloom area off the east Frisian coast, where P. pouchetii blooms have been reported for many years. Ammonia concentrations were very low in the P. pouchetii bloom area; this and the accumulation of dissolved organic substances might lead to speculation that decomposition of dissolved organic matter by bacteria could have been reduced due to antibiotic activity of P. pouchetii.     

The Influence of Anthropogenic Contamination On Metals Release From Coastal Sediment Suspensions with Aerated Sea Water

The zinc, cadmium, copper and lead release from the uncontaminated and contaminated coastal sediments with aerated sea water was studied. the metals transfer to the dissolved forms was monitored during one-two months by differential pulse anodic voltammetry (DPASV). the sediments with different initial degree of contamination were sampled in the Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan around Vladivostok-the biggest city in Russian Far East. Sediment contamination by metals led to increased release to solution of zinc due to sulphide oxidation and cadmium on account of organic matter decomposition. the copper behaviour was complicated by strong binding with organic matter and enhancements of copper release can only be seen in sediment with a low organic matter content. Significant lead transfer to dissolved forms was not observed regardless of sediment contamination. the temperature affected the release of cadmium and copper through enhanced organic matter destruction. the dissolved metal fluxes from the sediment transformation are compared with metal fluxes towards bottom. Such comparisons show that second contamination by dissolved metals of the studied coastal environment may be important for cadmium only.     

河流有机质生物地球化学研究进展

探讨了近年来河流中有机质的生物地球化学研究状况。大多数河流有机质的来源主要是外源即流域侵蚀而来的,经过河流的新陈代谢过程,把河流中的悬浮物分解为不同类型的有机质。在有机质分解过程中由于外部条件的差异,形成粒径大小不同的颗粒物和溶解有机质、无机质等。河流水体中的溶解有机碳(DOC)在全球不同纬度、不同区域,其含量差异较大,但目前对其生物地球化学控制的量级缺乏足够的理解和认识。另外碳氮同位素及其比值在当前的河流有机质生物地球化学研究中仍起着非常重要的示踪作用。     

Processes Influencing Dissolved Organic Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulphur in Soils

The influence of different plant and soil processes on the concentrations of soluble organic forms of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in soil and drainage waters is reviewed. Current knowledge about soluble organic matter is restricted mainly to dissolved organic carbon. Comparable information about soluble organic nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in processes such as eutrophication, plant uptake and decomposition is limited. Data are presented to highlight the potential sources of soluble organic components together with a discussion of their likely fate within the soil profile. the implications of changes in land use and management practices on dissolved organic matter are discussed.     

对硝基苯酚在沉积物上的吸附特性1

研究了沉积物吸附对硝基苯酚的作用机理及影响因素.结果表明,对硝基苯酚在沉积物上的吸附由其中的有机质含量和结构决定,体系的pH值对对硝基苯酚的吸附有较大的影响,其主要原因是体系的pH值控制着沉积物中有机质的溶出量.在实验浓度范围内,分配作用在沉积物吸附对硝基苯酚中占主导地位.     

预处理＋超滤技术处理饮用水

在查阅了大量的国内外文献资料基础上，主要介绍了超滤技术及预处理应用于饮用水净化的研究。尽管超滤是一种去除病原微生物（病原菌、病毒和病原原生动物）有效的消毒工艺，但因它的截留分子量比较高，去除天然有机物相对无效。试验证明，适当的预处理可使超滤膜不仅能去除天然水中大量颗粒状物质，同时也可去除溶解性有机物及THMFP。     

Feeding biology of the brackish-water oncholaimid nematode Adoncholaimus thalassophygas

The brackish-water inhabiting nematode Adoncholaimus thalassophygas (De Man, 1876) may be classified as an omnivore and predator according to the gut contents of the adults. A series of ¹⁴C experiments was conducted to investigate the feeding potential of labelled microorganisms and dissolved ¹⁴C glucose. The observed consistent failure to incorporate ¹⁴C from labelled microorganisms, and its consistent success with dissolved ¹⁴C glucose suggests that dissolved organic matter may be more important than microorganisms as a food source for his nematode. This corresponds also with direct observations of living worms which showed very little uptake of particulate food other than that originating from predation. Defecation and mean gulping rates were low and, therefore, ¹⁴C glucose uptake from solution can hardly be explained by the assumption that large amounts of water are swallowed and passing through the gut. By means of mucus secretion, A. thalassophygas forms compact agglutinations of detrital sediment which are sites of enhanced microbial activity. We suggest that hatched juveniles feed primarily on dissolved organic matter released by the intensive microbial activity within this habitat. Adults retain the ability to utilize dissolved organic matter, and supplement their diet by scavenging on carcasses and occasional predation. Thus, the biology of oncholaimid nematodes may be characterized by an intimate linkage to microbial metabolism, although they do not appear to feed directly upon microorganisms.     

On detritus as a food source for pelagic filter-feeders

Data on the amount of organic detritus within the particle size fraction 1 to 150 are presented for the Western Kiel Bight. Grouped into a mixed surface layer and a stratified lower layer in accordance with the main hydrographic features of the Western Baltic Sea, the rounded-off values show a seasonal variation between 100 and 600 mg m^-3 expressed as dry weight of organic matter. The overall average for both layers is about 200 mg m^-3. Organic detritus thus comprises more than 40% of total organic matter in the above size class, which is the class most easily accessible to the relatively small filter-feeders in this area. Attempting to trace the origin of organic detritus, a positive correlation to phytoplankton standing stock was found in some cases, suggesting the predominance of autochthonous detritus. Proceeding from the assumption that pelagic filter-feeders select their food mainly by size and not by taste, it is concluded that organic detritus plays an important role as a supplementary food source, being ingested together with phytoplankton and small nonmotile heterotrophs. The nutritive value of detritus is increased by the adsorption of dissolved organic matter and above all through the subsequent colonization by bacteria, which utilize the dissolved substances. Detritus particles serving as a substratum for bacteria thus form a means whereby dissolved organic substances reenter the food chain. The ingestion of detritus by filter-feeders is, therefore, thought to be instrumental in increasing the effectivity of energy transfer from the primary to the secondary food-chain level.     

臭氧氧化印染废水生化出水的生化降解特性

测定了不同比臭氧消耗量条件下,印染废水生化出水中生化可降解溶解性有机碳（BDOC）在28 d内的变化过程,并对接种培养前后的三维荧光光谱进行了分析.结果表明,臭氧氧化能有效降低印染废水生化出水的色度和芳香度,明显提高可生化性.在比臭氧消耗量2.7 mg.mg-1条件下,预计臭氧氧化和生物滤池联用技术对DOC的去除率约为54%.另外,亲水性有机物对BDOC的贡献率与比臭氧消耗量呈正比关系.类腐殖和类色氨酸物质的荧光强度在一定程度上反映了生化难降解有机物的含量.     

Thermodynamische Modelle für die Bioverfügbarkeit organischer Chemikalien

In aquatic systems, the bioavailability of chemical contaminants is determined via the physicochemical properties of the compounds and the organic matrices as well as through the milieu parameters of the water. The amount of substance freely dissolved in water yields an approximate characterization of the bioavailable fraction, which can be reduced substantially through the sorption of particulate or dissolved organic matter. For ionogenic compounds, a distinction must be made between the initial substance and dissociated or protonated species which, according to recent results, may also contribute to the bioconcentration found in organisms. The lipophilicity model to estimate bioconcentration factors initially refers only to an estimation of the freely dissolved compound concentration. Analysis of the bioaccumulation of sediment-borne contaminants shows that the uptake mainly occurs via the interstitial water and can be adequately described with the lipophilicity model.     

Influence of Dissolved Organic Matter On the Bio-Availability and Toxicity of Metals in Soils and Aquatic Systems

Cations in soil are essential for the growth of plants and micro-organisms. Their availability is dependent on soil organic matter. Soil organic matter (SOM) is heterogeneous comprising amino, aliphatic and phenolic acids, but particularly humic substances. All these substances can complex cations selectively. Mechanisms of complexation with dissolved organic matter are discussed. Such complexation can lead to the apparently contradictory observations that dissolved organic matter (DOM) can either increase the concentration of some less soluble nutrients, making them more available for plant uptake, or make them less available and hence less toxic. the importance of DOM is discussed in relation to soil solution, particularly the rhizosphere, and also in relation to aquatic systems. the latter systems contain mainly dissolved humic substances whereas in the soil, non-humic substances assume a greater importance.

SOM in the rhizosphere is derived from plant, microbial and animal remains but much, especially the water-soluble compounds, are acquired through root exudation. Exudation has important consequences for enhanced nutrient availability as a result of the production of non-humic substances such as amino, aliphatic and phenolic acids. in future, the role of root exudation in relation to DOM and nutrient availability should be investigated more fully, particularly as predicted elevated CO₂ levels are likely to have a major impact on root exudation, nutrient availability, and possibly ecosystem community structure and functioning. It is likely that more information will become available on aquatic systems as more highly sensitive techniques and equipment capable of dealing with low concentrations of DOM in these systems become available.     

Influence of Dissolved Organic Matter On the Bio-Availability and Toxicity of Metals in Soils and Aquatic Systems

Cations in soil are essential for the growth of plants and micro-organisms. Their availability is dependent on soil organic matter. Soil organic matter (SOM) is heterogeneous comprising amino, aliphatic and phenolic acids, but particularly humic substances. All these substances can complex cations selectively. Mechanisms of complexation with dissolved organic matter are discussed. Such complexation can lead to the apparently contradictory observations that dissolved organic matter (DOM) can either increase the concentration of some less soluble nutrients, making them more available for plant uptake, or make them less available and hence less toxic. the importance of DOM is discussed in relation to soil solution, particularly the rhizosphere, and also in relation to aquatic systems. the latter systems contain mainly dissolved humic substances whereas in the soil, non-humic substances assume a greater importance.

SOM in the rhizosphere is derived from plant, microbial and animal remains but much, especially the water-soluble compounds, are acquired through root exudation. Exudation has important consequences for enhanced nutrient availability as a result of the production of non-humic substances such as amino, aliphatic and phenolic acids. in future, the role of root exudation in relation to DOM and nutrient availability should be investigated more fully, particularly as predicted elevated CO₂ levels are likely to have a major impact on root exudation, nutrient availability, and possibly ecosystem community structure and functioning. It is likely that more information will become available on aquatic systems as more highly sensitive techniques and equipment capable of dealing with low concentrations of DOM in these systems become available.     

On the role of bacterioplankton in the tropical ocean

The high rates of production by planktonic bacteria reported by Sorokin for the warm surface layer of the oceans cannot be reconciled with the geographic distribution of dissolved organic carbon. These rates, as well as Sorokin's figures of bacterial production and, hence, consumption of oxygen in the deep sea are too high by an order of magnitude. It is left undecided whether the principal sink for the dissolved organic matter reaching the deep sea is in the warm surface layer of the oceans, as suggested by Sorokin, or the deep sea itself.     

FORMS OF NITROGEN (NO 3 - -N; NO 2 - -N AND NH 2 CONH 2 -N) AND THEIR RELATIONS TO A.O.U. IN THE INDIAN COASTAL WATERS OF ARABIAN SEA

The distribution of three important dissolved forms of nitrogen, viz. nitrate, nitrite and urea in the surface and bottom water samples collected from 27 selected hydrographic profiles, in the Arabian Sea, along the west coast of India is described. Of the three forms, nitrate concentrations were the highest and comparatively higher concentrations were observed in the bottom water. Decomposition of organic matter resulting in the release of the thermodynamically stable nitrogen species, i.e. nitrate, may be the major factor resulting in higher nitrate concentrations at these depths, where the water is also characterized by low values of dissolved oxygen and temperature. The significant positive correlation between A.O.U. and nitrate of the bottom water samples emphasizes the role of oxidative decomposition of organic matter which plays an active role in reducing the oxygen concentrations below the theoretical values since at this depth ( ≈200 m) the net production is taken to be zero. This is also evidenced by the negative correlation of nitrate with dissolved oxygen and temperature, for the bottom samples.