Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
Volume 19, Issue 2, Pages 1857-1863Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s10311-020-01137-z
Keywords
Dissolved organic matter; Cut-off meander; Quinonic-like components; Triplet excited states; Singlet oxygen; Correlation
Funding
- European Union [765860]
- Marie Curie Actions (MSCA) [765860] Funding Source: Marie Curie Actions (MSCA)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study explored the possibility of predicting the production of oxidant species in DOM through fluorescence analysis. The research found a strong correlation between the intensity of two specific humic-like fluorophores and the ability of water samples to generate reactive species, suggesting that monitoring these fluorophores could predict DOM's ability to degrade pollutants in surface waters.
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) controls the degradation and sequestration of aquatic pollutants and, in turn, water quality. In particular, pollutant degradation is performed by oxidant species that are generated by exposure of DOM to solar light, yet, since DOM is a very complex mixture of poorly known substances, the relationships between potential oxidant precursors in DOM and their oxydative capacity is poorly known. Here, we hypothesized that production of oxidant species could be predicted using fluorescence analysis. We analysed water samples from an alluvial plain by fluorescence spectroscopy; the three-dimensional spectra were then decomposed into seven individual components using a multi-way algorithm. Components include a protein-like fluorophore, e.g. tryptophan-like and tyrosine-like, three humic fluorophores, 2-naphthoxyacetic acid, and a by-product. We compared component levels with the ability of water samples to generate reactive species under solar light. The results show a strong correlation between reactive species production and the intensity of two humic-like fluorophores assigned to reduced quinones. Monitoring these fluorophores should thus allow to predict the ability of DOM degradation of pollutants in surface waters.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available