Author(s): Huacheng Xu
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Dissolved organic matter; Size continuum; Colloids; Microbial degradation; Self-assembly
Abstract: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is ubiquitous and plays an important role in regulating water quality, ecological function, and the fate and transport of trace elements and pollutants in aquatic environments. Both the colloidal precursors (i. e. 0.45 μm). Overall, carbohydrates and protein-like substances, especially the high molecular weight components, were preferentially decomposed by microorganisms whereas humic- and fulvic-like DOM components significantly coagulated through abiotic self-assembly. The contrasting degradation/transformation pathways between the humic-like and protein-like substances along the size continuum, as also characterized by flow field-flow fractionation analysis, demonstrated that the dynamic transformation and degradation of DOM is regulated by both molecular size and organic composition. This finding provides new insights into the biogeochemical cycling pathways of heterogeneous DOM and its environmental fate and ecological role in aquatic systems.
Year: 2024