Humic substances in surface waters of the Ukraine

Abstract

The results of studies of humic substances in water bodies of different types (lakes, rivers, and reservoirs) are given. It is shown that concentration of these natural organic compounds varies in a wide range of values (from 1.2 to 126.5 mg L−1) due to different sources of their formation. The highest concentrations of humic substances are characteristic for rivers of the Pripyat’ River basin flowing through the wetland. As we move from the north to the south, the content of humic substances is reduced. So, in the Kakhovka Reservoir, closing the Dnieper cascade of reservoirs, the concentration of humic substances is almost thrice as low as in the Kiev Reservoir, which is at the head of the cascade. Seasonal changes of humic substances concentration and the reasons for these changes are discussed. The prevailing fraction in the composition of humic substances is represented by fulvic acids, the content of which reaches 80.8–94.8% of the total. The results of studies of the molecular weight distribution of humic substances and the reasons for changes in the ratio of their individual fractions, depending on the detection method (spectrophotometric and fluorescence methods), are considered. The values of the number average (M n) and weight average (M w) molecular weight of humic substances and the degree of polydispersity are calculated. It is shown that M w varies seasonally. In spring and summer it is lower, but significantly increased in autumn. The reason for this phenomenon is degradation of high-molecular fractions of humic substances under the influence of UV light of solar radiation and increased microbiological activity during the summer season. As a result of these processes high-molecular fractions of humic substances are transformed into fractions with lower molecular weight, which become predominant.