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Hydroxyl radical ( OH) is a highly reactive oxidant of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the environment. OH production in the dark was observed through iron and DOC mediated Fenton reactions in natural environments. Specifically, when dissolved oxygen (O2) was added to low oxygen and anoxic soil waters in arctic Alaska, OH was produced in proportion to the concentrations of reduced iron (Fe(II)) and DOC. Here we demonstrate that Fe(II) was the main electron donor to O2 to produce OH. In addition to quantifying OH production, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was detected in soil waters as a likely intermediate in OH production from oxidation of Fe(II). For the first time in natural systems we detected carbon dioxide (CO2) production from OH oxidation of DOC. More than half of the arctic soil waters tested showed production of CO2 under conditions conducive for production of OH. Findings from this study strongly suggest that DOC is the main sink for OH, and that OH can oxidize DOC to yield CO2. Thus, this iron-mediated, dark chemical oxidation of DOC may be an important component of the arctic carbon cycle.

Membrane fouling by dissolved organic matter (DOM), especially microbially-derived DOM, is a major challenge for ultrafiltration (UF) membranes in water purification. Fouling may be mitigated by pretreating feed waters; however, there are no comprehensive studies that compare the fouling reduction efficacies across different pretreatment processes. Further, there is a limited understanding of the relationship between fouling reduction efficacy and microbially-derived DOM removal from source waters. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to: (i) evaluate and compare the efficacies of five pretreatment processes in reducing UF membrane fouling by DOM; and (ii) investigate whether a relationship exists between membrane fouling reduction and microbially-derived DOM removal by pretreatment processes. We investigated seven water sources and a polyvinylidene fluoride hollow-fiber UF membrane using bench-scale fouling tests. Dissolved organic carbon content, ultraviolet absorbance and fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy were used to assess DOM concentration and composition. Alum and ferric chloride coagulation were the most effective pretreatment processes in reducing membrane fouling, anion exchange was moderately effective, and PAC adsorption and chlorine pre-oxidation were the least effective. Consistent with previous studies, microbially-derived DOM was the major contributor to UF membrane fouling regardless of water source or pretreatment type. Fouling reduction was strongly correlated with the reduction of microbially-derived DOM in foulant layers but not from source waters. This result indicates that a fraction of the total microbially-derived DOM in feed waters was responsible for UF fouling. Overall, pretreatment processes that remove microbially-derived DOM are well-suited for UF membrane fouling reduction.

Evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important in transforming the chemical composition of the large pool of terrestrially-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported from land to water annually. However, due to the challenges inherent in isolating the effects of individual ROS on DOM composition, the role of ROS in the photochemical alteration of DOM remains poorly characterized. In this work, terrestrial DOM was independently exposed to singlet oxygen (1O2), and superoxide ( O 2 - under controlled laboratory conditions). Using ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry to track molecular level alterations of DOM by ROS, these findings suggest exposure to 1O2 (generated using Rose Bengal and visible light) removed formulas with an O/C > 0.3, and primarily resulted in DOM comprised of formulas with higher oxygen content, while O 2 - exposure (from KO2 in DMSO) removed formulas with O/C 1.5). Comparison of DOM altered by ROS in this study to riverine and coastal DOM showed that (20–80%) overlap in formulas, providing evidence for the role of ROS in shaping the composition of DOM exported from rivers to oceans.

Chemical characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracted from an ombrotrophic bog in northern Minnesota by two methods – XAD-8 and DEAE-cellulose – were compared using 13C NMR spectroscopy, excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMS), and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). DOM extracted with XAD-8, a relatively hydrophobic sorbent, had a larger 13C NMR signal in the aromatic carbon region, but DOM extracted by DEAE-cellulose, a weak anion exchanger, had a larger signal in the carboxylic carbon region. DOM extracts prepared by the two methods were similar in their overall chemical characteristics that serve as proxies for organic matter sources. For example, only small differences were observed in the fluorescence index (FI) values of the extracts, and all values were within the range expected for terrestrially-derived DOM. EEMS spectra of both extracts had “humic-like” peak A areas smaller than that of standard reference Suwannee River fulvic acid. Of 2801 distinct chemical formulas assigned during FT-ICR MS analysis of the two extracts, 66% were present in both; 15% were unique to the XAD-8 extract, and 19% were unique to the DEAE-cellulose extract. Van Krevelen plots showed that the DEAE-cellulose extract had more tannin-like and condensed aromatic entities and formulas with higher O/C ratios, whereas the XAD-8 extract had more lignin-like material and formulas with higher H/C ratios. Overall, differences in chemical characteristics of the extracts reflect the mechanisms by which the extractants operate.

Northern circumpolar permafrost soils contain roughly twice the amount of carbon stored in the atmosphere today, but the majority of this soil organic carbon is perennially frozen. Climate warming in the arctic is thawing permafrost soils and mobilizing previously frozen dissolved organic matter (DOM) from deeper soil layers to nearby surface waters. Previous studies have reported that ancient DOM draining deeper layers of permafrost soils was more susceptible to degradation by aquatic bacteria compared to modern DOM draining the shallow active layer of permafrost soils, and have suggested that DOM chemical composition may be an important control for the lability of DOM to bacterial degradation. However, the compositional features that distinguish DOM drained from different depths in permafrost soils are poorly characterized. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of DOM drained from different depths in permafrost soils, and relate these compositional differences to its susceptibility to biological degradation. DOM was leached from the shallow organic mat and the deeper permafrost layer of soils within the Imnavait Creek watershed on the North Slope of Alaska. DOM draining both soil layers was characterized in triplicate by coupling ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry, 13C solid-state NMR, and optical spectroscopy methods with multi-variate statistical analyses. Reproducibility of replicate mass spectra was high, and compositional differences resulting from interfering species or isolation effects were significantly smaller than differences between DOM drained from each soil layer. All analyses indicated that DOM leached from the shallower organic mat contained higher molecular weight, more oxidized, and more unsaturated aromatic species compared to DOM leached from the deeper permafrost layer. Bacterial production rates and bacterial efficiencies were significantly higher for permafrost compared to organic mat DOM; however, respiration rates were similar between DOM sources. Increased release of permafrost DOM from arctic soils to surface waters will change the chemical composition of DOM and its lability to bacteria, but this study suggests that these shifts in DOM composition and lability may not increase the carbon dioxide produced by bacterial respiration of permafrost DOM exported to arctic surface waters compared to DOM currently draining the shallow active layer.

The environmental dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were characterized for a shallow, subtropical, seagrass-dominated estuarine bay, namely Florida Bay, USA. Large spatial and seasonal variations in DOM quantity and quality were assessed using dissolved organic C (DOC) measurements and spectrophotometric properties including excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Surface water samples were collected monthly for 2 years across the bay. DOM characteristics were statistically different across the bay, and the bay was spatially characterized into four basins based on chemical characteristics of DOM as determined by EEM-PARAFAC. Differences between zones were explained based on hydrology, geomorphology, and primary productivity of the local seagrass community. In addition, potential disturbance effects from a very active hurricane season were identified. Although the overall seasonal patterns of DOM variations were not significantly affected on a bay-wide scale by this disturbance, enhanced freshwater delivery and associated P and DOM inputs (both quantity and quality) were suggested as potential drivers for the appearance of algal blooms in high impact areas. The application of EEM-PARAFAC proved to be ideally suited for studies requiring high sample throughput methods to assess spatial and temporal ecological drivers and to determine disturbance-induced impacts in aquatic ecosystems.

A nitrogen-rich fulvic acid (FA) from Pony Lake, a coastal pond in Antarctica, was investigated using advanced solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and compared with the precursor algal material. A significant fraction of non-protonated alkyl carbons, some bonded to nitrogen, was detected; most must be humification products, since they were undetectable in the lake algae. The corresponding branched alkyl structures account for 25–50% of carbon in the FA. Spectral editing detected methylenes (20% of all C) and ethyl groups attached to a branch point. COOH groups are also enriched (∼10% of all C); 15N NMR and spectral editing of CH and CN groups indicates peptides (∼1/4 of all C, ∼2/5 of all N), but the 15N NMR spectrum also exhibits bands up- and downfield from the peptide signal; these must be associated with a 157 ppm sp2-hybridized carbon bonded to three heteroatoms, of which at least two are N, according to 13C{14N} SPIDER (saturation pulse induced dipolar exchange with recoupling) NMR. This component, possibly a degradation product of penguin guano, accounts for nearly half the N. OCH, O–CH–O and OCH2 moieties, typically found in sugar rings, were identified using spectral editing (∼12% of all C). The quantitative 13C spectrum shows an aromaticity of 8%; many of the aromatic carbons are bonded to N. 1H–13C NMR with 1H spin diffusion shows that most components are within 1 nm from non-polar alkyl segments, which excludes polysaccharide or aromatic domains. Overall, the structural differences between the algal precursor and the FA are striking.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has been shown to be an integral component in biogeochemical electron transfer reactions due to its demonstrated ability to facilitate redox reactions. While the role of DOM as a facilitator of electron transfer processes has been demonstrated, greater knowledge would lead to better understanding of the structural components responsible for redox behavior, such as quinones and nitrogen and sulfur (N/S) functional groups. This investigation uses direct scan voltammetry (DSV) coupled with fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy as well as thermochemolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to elucidate the organic moieties responsible for facilitating electron transfer reactions. We contrast electrochemical properties and structural details of three organic matter isolates from diverse sources; Great Dismal Swamp DOM (terrestrially derived, highly aromatic), Pony Lake DOM (microbially derived, highly aliphatic) and Toolik Lake (terrestrially derived, photochemically and microbially altered) with juglone (a redox-active model quinone). Aromatic and phenolic constituents were detected (by 13C NMR) and recovered (by thermochemolysis GC–MS) from all three fulvic acid samples, highlighting the ubiquity of these compounds and suggesting that the quinone–phenol redox couple is not limited to DOM derived from lignin precursors. The range of hydroxy-benzene and benzoic acid derivatives may explain the lack of a single pair of well-defined oxidation and reduction peaks in the DSV scans. The presence of a wide-range of hydroxylated benzoic acid isomers and other redox-active aromatic residues implies that native DOM possesses overlapping redox potentials analogous to their characteristic range of pKa values.