scholarly journals Fluorescence properties of dissolved organic matter in coastal Mediterranean waters influenced by a municipal sewage effluent (Bay of Marseilles, France)

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 438 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Tedetti ◽  
R. Longhitano ◽  
N. Garcia ◽  
C. Guigue ◽  
N. Ferretto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Sewage Effluent ◽  
Particulate Carbon ◽  
Marine Waters ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Faecal Bacteria

Environmental contextMarine dissolved organic matter plays a key role in the global carbon cycle. Questions remain, however, as to the influence of anthropogenic activities on its composition and distribution in coastal waters. It was found that dissolved organic matter in the vicinity of a municipal sewage effluent (Marseilles City, France) contained a high proportion of protein-like material, thereby demonstrating the influence of human activities on coastal dissolved organic matter. AbstractFluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in coastal marine waters influenced by the municipal sewage effluent (SE) from Marseilles City (France, north-western Mediterranean Sea) has been characterised. Samples were collected eleven times from September 2008 to June 2010 in the Bay of Marseilles along a coast–open sea transect from the SE outlet in the South Bay and at the Mediterranean Institute Observation site in the central Bay. Fluorescence excitation–emission matrices combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) allowed the identification of two protein-like (tyrosine C1, with excitation maxima (λEx) and an emission maximum (λEm) of <230, 275/306 nm; tryptophan C2, λEx/λEm <230, 270/346 nm) and three humic-like components (marine humic C3, λEx/λEm 280/386 nm; C4, λEx/λEm 235, 340/410 nm; C5, λEx/λEm 255, 365/474 nm). From the SE outlet to the central Bay, a gradient appeared, with decreasing FDOM intensities, decreasing dissolved organic carbon, particulate carbon, nutrients and faecal bacteria concentrations and increasing salinity values. This gradient was associated with decreasing abundances in protein-like fluorophores and rising abundances in humic-like (C3 and C5) materials. This shift in FDOM composition illustrated the decrease in wastewater inputs and the increase in marine sources of DOM along the transect. FDOM data showed that the Marseilles SE spread up to 1500 m off the outlet, but it did not reach the central Bay. Tryptophan-like material was the dominant fluorophore in the SE and displayed the highest correlations with biogeochemical parameters (organic carbon, phosphates, faecal bacteria). Therefore, it is proposed to use its fluorescence intensity to detect and track SE inputs in the Marseilles coastal marine waters.

Measuring dissolved organic matter in estuarine and marine waters: size-exclusion chromatography with various detection methods

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Dulaquais ◽  
Johann Breitenstein ◽  
Matthieu Waeles ◽  
Rémi Marsac ◽  
Ricardo Riso
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Humic Substances ◽  
Size Exclusion Chromatography ◽  
Size Exclusion ◽  
Marine Waters ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Exclusion Chromatography

Environmental contextDissolved organic matter (DOM), a key parameter in aquatic biogeochemistry, is difficult to characterise owing to its variable composition and structure. We report a chromatographic method with carbon, nitrogen and absorbance detection able to record the size distribution of DOM and changes in its composition. The method could be used to identify additional sources to river or coastal waters as well as monitoring the DOM size/reactivity continuum in open oceans. AbstractWe studied the performance and limitations of size-exclusion chromatography with organic carbon, ultraviolet and organic nitrogen detectors (SEC-OCD-UVD-OND) for characterising dissolved organic matter (DOM) in estuarine and marine waters. We identified a strong salt effect on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) determination; however, calibration gave good results at salinity levels close to those of the sample analysed (ΔS ± 2 psu (practical salinity units)), with limited matrix effects, enabling an accurate measurement of DOC, as demonstrated by an intercalibration exercise. The repeatability, reproducibility and limit of detection (3 ppb for both carbon and nitrogen) for the three detectors demonstrated the robustness of the method for a wide range of natural waters, including carbon-rich freshwaters and deep seawaters with low carbon content (6000 ppb-C to 300 ppb-C). Deeper analysis of the SEC demonstrated that proteins and polysaccharides are partly fractionated within the column, and that terrestrial humic substances, isolated on a XAD-8 resin, can also be eluted in both fractions associated with biopolymers and low-molecular-weight neutrals. Application of the method to the study of DOM along a macrotidal estuary that was influenced by agricultural activities revealed significant changes in its composition despite a conservative DOC distribution. Distinct origins and qualities of high-molecular-weight (>500 kDa) organic compounds were identified for riverine and marine end-members. A new diagram to track changes in DOM lability is proposed to complete the humic-substances diagram.

scholarly journals The non-conservative distribution pattern of organic matter in Rajang, a tropical river with peatland in its estuary

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuoyi Zhu ◽  
Joanne Oakes ◽  
Bradley Eyre ◽  
Youyou Hao ◽  
Edwin Sien Aun Sia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Organic Matter Composition ◽  
Doc Concentration ◽  
Nitrogen Ratio ◽  
Export Pattern

Abstract. South-east Asian peatland-draining rivers have attracted much attention due to their high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) yield and high CO2 emissions under anthropogenic activities. In August 2016, we carried out a field investigation of the Rajang river and estuary, a tropical system located in Sarawak, Malaysia. The Rajang has peatland in its estuary while the river basin is covered by tropical rainforest. DOC δ13C in the Rajang ranged from −28.7 ‰ to −20.1 ‰ and a U-shaped trend from river to estuary was identified. For particulate organic carbon (POC), the δ13C ranged between −29.4 ‰ to −31.1 ‰ in the river and a clear increasing trend towards more δ13C -enriched with higher salinity existed in the estuary. In the estuary, there was a linear conservative dilution pattern for dissolved organic matter composition (as quantified by D/L amino acids enantiomers) plotted against DOC δ13C, whereas when plotted against salinity dissolved D/L amino acids enantiomers values were higher than the theoretical dilution value. Together, these data indicate that the addition of DOC in estuary (by peatland) not only increased the DOC concentration, but also altered its composition, by adding more bio-degraded, 13C-depleted organic matter into the bulk dissolved organic matter. Alteration of organic matter composition (adding of more degraded subpart) was also apparent for the particulate phase, but patterns were less clear. The Rajang was characterized by DOC / DON ratios of 50 in the river section, with loss of DON in the estuary increased the ratio to 140, suggesting the unbalanced export pattern for organic carbon and nitrogen, respectively. Under anthropogenic activities, further assessment of organic carbon to nitrogen ratio is needed.

scholarly journals The nonconservative distribution pattern of organic matter in the Rajang, a tropical river with peatland in its estuary

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 2473-2485
Author(s):  
Zhuo-Yi Zhu ◽  
Joanne Oakes ◽  
Bradley Eyre ◽  
Youyou Hao ◽  
Edwin Sien Aun Sia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Organic Matter Composition ◽  
Doc Concentration ◽  
Amino Acid Enantiomer

Abstract. Southeast Asian peatland-draining rivers have attracted much attention due to their high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) yield and high CO2 emissions under anthropogenic influences. In August 2016, we carried out a field investigation of the Rajang River and its estuary, a tropical system located in Sarawak, Malaysia. The Rajang has peatland in its estuary, while the river basin is covered by tropical rainforest. DOC-δ13C in the Rajang ranged from −28.7 ‰ to −20.1 ‰, with a U-shaped trend from river to estuary. For particulate organic carbon (POC), δ13C ranged between −29.4 ‰ and −31.1 ‰ in the river, and there was a clear increasing trend towards more enriched δ13C values with higher salinity. In the estuary, there was a linear conservative dilution pattern for dissolved organic matter composition (as quantified by D- and L-amino acid enantiomers) plotted against DOC-δ13C, whereas when plotted against salinity, dissolved D- and L-amino acid enantiomer values were higher than the theoretical dilution value. Together, these data indicate that the addition of DOC to the estuary (by peatland) not only increased the DOC concentration but also altered its composition, by adding more biodegraded, 13C-depleted organic matter into the bulk dissolved organic matter. Alteration of organic matter composition (addition of a more degraded subpart) was also apparent for the particulate phase, but patterns were less clear. The Rajang was characterized by DOC to DON (dissolved organic nitrogen) ratios of 50 in the river section, with loss of DON in the estuary increasing the ratio to 140, suggesting an unbalanced export of organic carbon and nitrogen. Where affected by anthropogenic activities, further assessment of organic carbon to nitrogen ratios is needed.

scholarly journals Impact of aquaculture on distribution of dissolved organic matter in coastal Jeju Island, Korea, based on absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeonghyun Kim ◽  
Yeseul Kim ◽  
Sung Eun Park ◽  
Tae-Hoon Kim ◽  
Bong-Guk Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Fluorescence Spectroscopy ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Coastal Water ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Organic Pollution ◽  
Jeju Island

AbstractIn Jeju Island, multiple land-based aquafarms were fully operational along most coastal region. However, the effect of effluent on distribution and behaviours of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the coastal water are still unknown. To decipher characteristics of organic pollution, we compared physicochemical parameters with spectral optical properties near the coastal aquafarms in Jeju Island. Absorption spectra were measured to calculate the absorption coefficient, spectral slope coefficient, and specific UV absorbance. Fluorescent DOM was analysed using fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were measured using high-temperature catalytic oxidation. The DOC concentration near the discharge outlet was twice higher than that in natural groundwater, and the TDN concentration exponentially increased close to the outlet. These distribution patterns indicate that aquafarms are a significant source of DOM. Herein, principal component analysis was applied to categorise the DOM origins. There were two distinct groups, namely, aquaculture activity for TDN with humic-like and high molecular weights DOM (PC1: 48.1%) and natural biological activity in the coastal water for DOC enrichment and protein-like DOM (PC2: 18.8%). We conclude that the aquafarms significantly discharge organic nitrogen pollutants and provoke in situ production of organic carbon. Furthermore, these findings indicate the potential of optical techniques for the efficient monitoring of anthropogenic organic pollutants from aquafarms worldwide.

scholarly journals Distribution of inorganic and organic nutrients in the South Pacific Ocean − evidence for long-term accumulation of organic matter in nitrogen-depleted waters

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Raimbault ◽  
N. Garcia ◽  
F. Cerutti
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Carbon ◽  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Organic Phosphorus ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
The South ◽  
Photic Layer

Abstract. During the BIOSOPE cruise the RV Atalante was dedicated to study the biogeochemical properties in the South Pacific between the Marquesas Islands (141° W–8° S) and the Chilean upwelling (73° W–34° S). Over the 8000 km covered by the cruise, several different trophic situations were encountered, in particular strong oligotrophic conditions in the South Pacific Gyre (SPG, between 123° W and 101° W). In this isolated region, nitrate was undetectable between the surface and 160–180 m and only trace quantities (<20 nmoles l−1) of regenerated nitrogen (nitrite and ammonium) were detected, even in the subsurface maximum. Integrated nitrate over the photic layer, which reached 165 m, was close to zero. Despite this severe nitrogen-depletion, phosphate was always present in significant concentrations (≈0.1 μmoles l−1), while silicic acid was maintained at low but classical oceanic levels (≈1 μmoles l−1). In contrast, the Marquesas region (MAR) to the west and Chilean upwelling (UPW) to the east were characterized by high nutrient concentrations, one hundred to one thousand fold higher than in the SPG. The distribution of surface chlorophyll reflected the nitrate gradient, the lowest concentrations (0.023 nmoles l−1) being measured at the centre of the SPG, where integrated value throughout the photic layer was very low (≈ 10 mg m−2). However, due to the relatively high concentrations of chlorophyll-a encountered in the DCM (0.2 μg l−1), chlorophyll-a concentrations throughout the photic layer were less variable than nitrate concentrations (by a factor 2 to 5). In contrast to chlorophyll-a, integrated particulate organic matter (POM) remained more or less constant along the study area (500 mmoles m−2, 60 mmoles m−2 and 3.5 mmoles m−2 for particulate organic carbon, particulate organic nitrogen and particulate organic phosphorus, respectively), with the exception of the upwelling, where values were two fold higher. The residence time of particulate carbon in the surface water was only 4–5 days in the upwelling, but up to 30 days in the SPG, where light isotopic δ15N signal noted in the suspended POM suggests that N2-fixation provides a dominant supply of nitrogen to phytoplankton. The most striking feature was the large accumulation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the SPG compared to the surrounding waters, in particular dissolved organic carbon (DOC) where concentrations were at levels rarely measured in oceanic waters (>100 μmoles l−1). Due to this large pool of DOM in the SPG photic layer, integrated values followed a converse geographical pattern to that of inorganic nutrients with a large accumulation in the centre of the SPG. Whereas suspended particulate matter in the mixed layer had a C/N ratio largely conforming to the Redfield stochiometry (C/N≈6.6), marked deviations were observed in this excess DOM (C/N≈16 to 23). The marked geographical trend suggests that a net in situ source exists, mainly due to biological processes. Thus, in spite of strong nitrate-depletion leading to low chlorophyll biomass, the closed ecosystem of the SPG can accumulate large amounts of C-rich dissolved organic matter. The implications of this finding are examined, the conclusion being that, due to weak lateral advection, the biologically produced dissolved organic carbon can be accumulated and stored in the photic layer for very long periods. In spite of the lack of seasonal vertical mixing, a significant part of new production (up to 34%), which was mainly supported by dinitrogen fixation, can be exported to deep waters by turbulent diffusion in terms of DOC. The diffusive rate estimated in the SPG (134 μmolesC m−2 d−1), was quite equivalent to the particles flux measured by sediments traps.

scholarly journals Origin and fate of particulate and dissolved organic matter in a naturally iron-fertilized region of the Southern Ocean

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 14097-14132 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Tremblay ◽  
J. Caparros ◽  
K. Leblanc ◽  
I. Obernosterer
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Bacterial Degradation ◽  
Natural Iron ◽  
Average Proportion ◽  
Carbon Pump ◽  
Microbial Carbon

Abstract. Natural iron fertilization of high-nutrient low-chlorophyll (HNLC) waters induces annually occurring spring phytoplankton blooms off Kerguelen Islands (Southern Ocean). To examine the origin and fate of particulate and dissolved organic matter (POM and DOM), D- and L-amino acids (AA) were quantified at bloom and HNLC stations. Total hydrolysable AA accounted for 21–25% of surface particulate organic carbon (%POCAA) at the bloom sites, but for 10% at the HNLC site. A marked decrease in %POCAA with depth was observed at the most productive stations leading to values between 3 and 5% below 300 m depth. AA contributed to only 0.9–4.4% of dissolved organic carbon (%DOCAA) at all stations. The only consistent vertical trend was observed at the most productive station (A3-2) where %DOCAA decreased from ∼2% in the surface waters to 0.9% near 300 m. These AA yields and other markers revealed that POM and DOM were more rapidly altered or mineralized at the bloom sites compared to the HNLC site. Different molecular markers indicated that POM mostly originated from diatoms and bacteria. The estimated average proportion of POM from intact phytoplankton cells in surface waters was 45% at the bloom station A3-2, but 14% at the HNLC site. Estimates based on D-AA yields indicated that ∼15% of POM and ∼30% of DOM was of bacterial origin (cells and cell fragments) at all stations. Surprisingly, the DOM in HNLC waters appeared less altered than the DOM from the bloom, had slightly higher dissolved AA concentrations, and showed no sign of alteration within the water column. Unfavorable conditions for bacterial degradation in HNLC regions can explain these findings. In contrast, large inputs of labile organic molecules and iron, likely stimulate the degradation of organic matter (priming effect) and the production of more recalcitrant DOM (microbial carbon pump) during iron-fertilized blooms.

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