Fluorescence fingerprints and Cu 2+-complexing ability of individual molecular size fractions in soil- and waste-borne DOM

Abstract

Land spreading of organic materials introduces large amounts of dissolved organic matter (DOM) into the soil. DOM has the ability to form stable complexes with heavy metals and can facilitate their transport towards the groundwater. The effects on soil processes are difficult to assess, because different DOM components might react differently towards metal ions. The objective of this study was to investigate the fluorescence signature and the Cu 2+-binding capacity of individual molecular size fractions of DOM from various sources. DOM extracted from leaf compost, chicken manure, sugar cane vinasse and a fulvic hypercalcaric cambisol was fractionated by the means of dialysis into four molecular size classes: MW < 500, 500 < MW < 3500, 3500 < MW < 12 000–14 000, and MW > 12 000–14 000 Da. Vinasse and leaf compost contained around 80% and 70%, respectively, of the total organic carbon in the fractions with low molecular weight (MW < 3500 Da); in chicken manure and soil these fractions accounted for 40% and 50% only. Fluorescence was highest in the fraction MW > 12 000 Da for leaf compost, chicken manure and soil. The opposite result was obtained for vinasse, where the fractions with low molecular weight showed highest fluorescence intensities, distinguishing it from all other samples. Vinasse showed the greatest ability to bind Cu 2+ with a resulting complex concentration of 6.31 mg l −1 while in contact with an excess of Cu 2+. Leaf compost, soil and chicken manure followed with 2.69, 1.12, and 0.85 mg l −1, respectively. Within vinasse, the fraction MW < 500 Da was able to form the most DOM–Cu complexes, indicating the importance of low molecular weight fractions in metal binding.