Issue 12, 2024

Spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the middle reaches of the Huai River in a dry season

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Huai River in the winter dry season using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis), three-dimensional fluorescence excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC), and liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection (LC-OCD). The PARAFAC model results revealed three DOM chemical components, namely: UV-type humic substances (C1), humic acid-like substances (C2), and protein-like substances (C3). However, humic substance components (C1 + C2) were the major fluorescent DOM components, accounting for 61.88 ± 6.45%. In this study, the reduced external inputs in the winter dry season resulted in a significantly higher fluorescence intensity of the C3 component than that of C2 (P < 0.01). On the other hand, the LC-OCD results indicated significant differences (P < 0.01) between different water body types of the Huai River due to the strong influences of human activities and sewage discharge. The polysaccharide, humic substance, low molecular acid, and nitrogenous compound concentrations in the river water exhibited decreasing trends from upstream to downstream of the river. In contrast, the concentrations of amino acid derivatives exhibited a significant increasing trend from upstream to downstream of the river. The concentrations of nitrogenous compounds were accumulated in the confluence zone of the river tributaries and mainstream. The DOM concentrations in the river water were influenced by multiple factors. However, the decrease in the concentrations of proteins and polysaccharides enhanced the autochthonous process in the river water body, gradually increasing the concentrations of humic substances.

Graphical abstract: Spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the middle reaches of the Huai River in a dry season

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Jun 2024
Accepted
25 Sep 2024
First published
31 Oct 2024

Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2024,10, 3308-3318

Spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the middle reaches of the Huai River in a dry season

H. Song, L. Gao, J. Xu, L. Zhu, X. Shu, J. Xia, K. Zhang and L. Wu, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2024, 10, 3308 DOI: 10.1039/D4EW00499J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements