Dissolved organic matter in coastal rainwater: Concentration, bioavailability and depositional flux to seawater in southeastern China

Abstract

Forty-seven precipitation samples were collected between March 2011 and May 2012 in Xiamen, southeastern China to examine the concentration, bioavailability and depositional flux of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in rainwater. Fluorescence excitation-emission (EEM) spectra of DOM were also determined to trace compositional changes during biodegradation experiments to assess which components of the DOM pool are biolabile. Rainwater dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations ranged from 8.5 to 932 μM, with a volume-weighted average concentration of 128 μM. The fraction of biolabile DOC (BDOC%) ranged from 16 to 91% with an average of 46 ± 17%. The biodegradation rate of rainwater DOC followed a first-order exponential curve. During biodegradation experiments, protein-like fluorescence decreased and humic-like fluorescence remained constant or increased. Both DOC and BDOC concentration showed a dilution effect in relation to rainfall amount. Rainwater with continental trajectories typically had higher DOC concentrations than from marine trajectories, while, in contrast, the BDOC% didn't show significant differences among trajectories. Winter rainwater DOC concentration was significantly higher, while BDOC% was lower than other seasons, which may be related to greater relative fossil fuel inputs, particularly from coal burning in northern China. The depositional flux of rainwater DOC into Xiamen Bay was estimated to be 2.1 Gg C yr−1, and the rainwater BDOC flux to Xiamen Bay was approximately 35% of that discharged from the Jiulong River. Our results highlight that precipitation inputs play a significant role in supplying BDOC to the ocean with ramifications for marine food webs.