The use of organic markers in the differentiation of organic inputs to aquatic systems

Abstract

In previous projects the estuarine distributions of a variety of molecular organic markers have been described and discussed in relation to sources, transport mechanisms and fates of anthropogenic and biogenic inputs to estuaries. Molecular markers have been used successfully to establish terrestrial inputs to marine water and to trace pollutants in water-ways. One of the components selected for study was lignin. Lignin compounds are phenolic polymers that occur as major constituents of the cell walls of vascular plants. Their source, natural abundance, wide distribution and resistance to microbial degradation render them good terrestrial markers and, via their phenolic aldehyde oxidation products, afford characterisation of their source material. In previous work, ratios of various lignin components suggest that permanently suspended material contains a significant proportion of degraded angiosperm tissues whereas, in resuspended material, a component of gymnosperm material is indicated. Comparison of the lignin concentrations in the suspended material with those in underlying sediment reveals that the permanently suspended material is preferentially enriched in lignin. This is due, at least in part, to the relative buoyancy of lignin-containing prticles which causes them to float in near-surface water. This paper considers whether such methodology can be usefully applied to the determination of terrestrial inputs to lentic environments.