Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in surface waters plays an important role in environmental processes and water quality. This study used solid-state NMR techniques to characterize the molecular composition of DOM from various sources and explore the molecular signatures of riverine DOM in relation to its point and nonpoint sources. Compared with the DOM from the grass/forest land, the DOM in cropland comprised more carbohydrate C, more aromatics, and COO/N-C=O groups, but less alkyl C. The landfill leachate DOM from >10 year-old landfill cells contained more O-alkyl C than that from few year-old cells. Moreover, the chemical composition of riverine DOM was affected by the DOM input from wastewater effluents as a point source, with the DOM from upstream the outlet of wastewater discharge showing a high alkyl component close to that of the wastewater DOM, higher OCH3, and lower NCH and COO/N-C=O. The wastewater effluent DOM had less alkyl C and more aromatic C as compared with raw wastewater DOM. The DOM after the wetland contained similar amounts of alkyl C, but decreased O-alkyl C. This study demonstrated that the solid-state NMR is a promising, effective tool to examine the chemical and molecular linkages of aquatic DOM from various source.

Chemical structures of dissolved organic matter from various sources as characterized by solid-state NMR: Insights into molecular signatures in relation to point and nonpoint sources

248th National Meeting (2014)

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