Chemical characterization of dissolved organic matter in Hiroshima Bay, Japan

The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and hydrophilic DOC (Hil-DOC) in Hiroshima Bay showed clear seasonal changes (high in summer and low in winter), suggesting the autochthonous production of Hil-DOC. The percentages of hydrophobic DOC (Hob-DOC) fractionated by XAD-8 resin were 33% for the bay waters and 41% for the river waters, whereas those of labile DOC (which decomposed during an incubation period of 100 days) were 20% and 24%, respectively. The increment of DOC to Chlorophyll a was calculated to be (0.014 mgl(-1))/(mu gl(-1)). The mixing experiments suggested a negligible deposition of DOC at the estuaries of inflowing rivers. The Hob-DOC went through the bay with negligible changes in concentration in both summer and winter, but its chemical characteristics, e.g. spectrophotometric properties and mean molecular weight, differed from those of riverine origin. In contrast, both labile and refractory components of Hil-DOC were produced mainly in the inner part of the bay during summer, and although a significant percentage of the labile component was subjected to biodegradation during transport to the outer part of the bay, its chemical characteristics did not change dramatically. (C) 2001 Academic Press.