Influence of Storm Runoff on the Spectral Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in a Drinking Water Reservoir During the Flood Season

Abstract

To explore the influence of storm runoff on reservoir organic matter during the flood season, the Lijiahe Reservoir was selected to analyze variations in the content and components of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during four periods (before runoff, flood peak period, 1 week after runoff, and 6 weeks after runoff) using three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy parallel factor analysis (EEMs-PARAFAC) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectra. The results showed that:① the turbidity and DOC content of the reservoir increased significantly during the flood peak period (P<0.01) and gradually decreased thereafter; ② the UV-Vis spectrum characteristics showed that a(254) and a(355) were significantly increased in the flood peak period (P<0.01) while E2/E3 and E3/E4 were significantly decreased (P<0.01), indicating that the concentration, relative molecular weight, and degree of DOM humification in the reservoir were increased by storm runoff; ③ four DOM components were identified as terrestrial humus (C1 and C2), microbial humus (C3), and a tryptophan-like component (C4). The fluorescence intensity of the C1-C3 components increased significantly during the flood peak period (P<0.05), indicating that the increase in the DOM humic-like component was caused by the storm runoff. At the same time, a decrease in the fluorescence intensity of the C1-C4 components was observed after the flood peak period, indicating that DOM continuously settled and degraded after runoff; and ④ Pearson's correlation analyses showed that DOM fluorescence intensity and turbidity were significantly correlated (r>0.467, P<0.05), indicating that the observed decrease in DOM content was related to the sedimentation of suspended solids. A principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the water quality in the reservoir reflected the observed characteristics during the different runoff periods. Overall, this study reveals the effects of the storm runoff on DOM content and its components over the short and long term, providing scientific support for the management of drinking water quality.