Organic Molecular Signatures of the Congo River and Comparison to the Amazon

The Congo and Amazon are the two largest rivers on Earth and serve as major sources of dissolved organic carbon to the ocean. We compared the dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition of both rivers using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to investigate seasonal and regional differences in DOM composition exported to the ocean. We found that over a 15-month observational period in the Congo River, molecular aromaticity and oxygenation between the wet and dry periods varied slightly, but most of the relative abundance of DOM formulae (similar to 90%) were present in all samples, suggesting that Congo River DOM quality is stable across different hydrological conditions. In contrast, the multi-year DOM composition in the Amazon River was highly susceptible to changes in hydrology, with clear differences in molecular aromaticity, oxygenation, and heteroatom (N, S, P) content between the wet and dry seasons. Overall, the DOM composition of the Congo River was more terrestrial than Amazon River DOM, which was more characteristic of aquatic DOM. Finally, we compared the relative contribution of island of stability (IOS) formulae between the rivers and found that both rivers export similar amounts of these formulae annually, more than several major rivers combined, and that the Congo is more than twice as efficient in exporting these IOS formulae. With changing precipitation and land use, the quantity and composition of exported DOM will likely reflect the mobilization of additional terrestrial and anthropogenic sources that will also be subjected to downstream land-to-ocean cycling.

Automated summary

The study compares the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Congo and Amazon rivers. The results show that the quality of DOM in the Congo River remains stable across different hydrological conditions, while the composition of DOM in the Amazon River is highly susceptible to changes in hydrology. The DOM in the Congo River is more terrestrial in nature, while the DOM in the Amazon River is more characteristic of aquatic DOM. Additionally, the Congo River is more efficient in exporting specific formulae compared to other rivers.