Size Fractions Of Organic Matter Research Articles

Teores e estoque de carbono em frações lábeis e recalcitrantes da matéria orgânica do solo sob integração lavoura-pecuária no bioma Cerrado

The study of organic matter and its compartments and their relationship with management, aims to develop strategies for increasing their levels in soils and better understanding of its dynamics. This work aimed to evaluate the fractions of soil organic matter and their carbon stocks in different soil cover system in crop-livestock integration and native Cerrado vegetation. The study was conducted at the farm Cabeceira, Maracajú – MS, sample area have the following history: soybean/corn + brachiaria/cotton/oat + pasture/soybean/formation of pasture/grazing, sampling was carried out in two seasons, dry (May/2009) and rainy (March 2010), in the dry season, crops present were: pasture, corn and cotton + brachiaria and in the rainy season were corn, cotton and soybeans, so the areas in the two evaluation periods were: pasture / maize + brachiaria / cotton, cotton / soybean area and a native of Savanna. Was performed to determine the exchangeable cations, particle size analysis, bulk density, organic carbon, particle size fractionation of organic matter of the soil with the quantification of particulate organic carbon (POC) and organic carbon associated with minerals (OCam). Was also quantified the carbon stock and size fractions. The area of pasture / maize showed higher carbon stock in the particulate fraction in the topsoil. The area of cotton / soy due to its lower clay, showed the greatest loss of carbon. Because of the areas have the same history, the stock of more recalcitrant fraction was not sensitive to variations in coverage. The POC fraction appears more sensitive to different soil covers and seasonality.

An investigation of size-fractionated organic matter from Lake Superior and a tributary stream using radiocarbon, stable isotopes and NMR

This study investigated the concentration and isotopic composition of different size fractions of organic matter (OM) in Lake Superior and in one of its many tributary streams and rivers (Amity Creek, Duluth, Minnesota, USA). Structural compositional drivers of the Δ14C of high molecular weight (HMW, >1kDa) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the lake were also evaluated. Low molecular weight (LMW, <1kDa) DOC was the fraction containing the largest proportion (68–88%) of organic carbon (OC) in the lake. Particulate organic carbon (POC, >0.7μm) was generally 13C-depleted (−29±1.2‰) relative to “bulk” (<0.7μm) DOC (−26.4±0.7‰), “init” (<0.2μm) DOC (−26.6±0.8‰), HMW DOC (−26.9±0.3‰) and LMW DOC (−26.5±0.9‰), and had more variable 14C content (Δ14C of −94‰ to 53‰; 735years BP to modern) than the other size fractions. Init DOC (Δ14C of 17–59‰), HMW DOC (Δ14C of 23–64‰) and LMW DOC (Δ14C of 16–62‰) all reflected contemporary (modern) radiocarbon signatures. Bulk DOC (Δ14C of −19‰ to 57‰; 90years BP to modern) had modern radiocarbon values in the offshore sites (Δ14C of 2–57‰) with pre-aged samples (Δ14C of −8‰ to −19‰) seen at the nearshore site. HMW DOM was relatively N-poor (C:N of 12–19) compared to particulate organic matter (POM, C:N of 8–10) revealing either a more diagenetically altered state or contrasting sources. 13C NMR data showed that biochemical composition of HMW DOC in Lake Superior was dominated by carbohydrates (53–65%) with only trace aromatic components (2–4%). Structurally complex components such as heteropolysaccharides (HPS), amide/peptides and amino sugars (AMS) constitute 75–84% of HMW DOC whereas carboxylic-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM) made up 16–25% of HMW DOC in the lake. Combined HPS and AMS, O-alkyl carbohydrate carbon, and total carbohydrate carbon contents were significantly positively correlated to the Δ14C of HMW DOC suggesting they contribute a contemporary 14C-enriched component to the HMW DOC in the lake. In contrast, CRAM and aliphatic carbons were significantly inversely correlated with Δ14C of HMW DOC implying that these represent 14C-depleted (older) components of HMW DOC in the lake. At Amity Creek, storm events led to larger loads of bulk DOC and POC, which were both 14C-enriched (modern). However, in baseflow conditions 14C-depleted bulk DOC and POC were exported. LMW DOC from the creek was considerably 14C-depleted compared to concurrent HMW DOC.

Teores e estoque de carbono em frações lábeis e recalcitrantes da matéria orgânica do solo sob integração lavoura-pecuária no bioma Cerrado

The study of organic matter and its compartments and their relationship with management, aims to develop strategies for increasing their levels in soils and better understanding of its dynamics. This work aimed to evaluate the fractions of soil organic matter and their carbon stocks in different soil cover system in crop-livestock integration and native Cerrado vegetation. The study was conducted at the farm Cabeceira, Maracaju – MS, sample area have the following history: soybean/corn + brachiaria/cotton/oat + pasture/soybean/formation of pasture/grazing, sampling was carried out in two seasons, dry (May/2009) and rainy (March 2010), in the dry season, crops present were: pasture, corn and cotton + brachiaria and in the rainy season were corn, cotton and soybeans, so the areas in the two evaluation periods were: pasture / maize + brachiaria / cotton, cotton / soybean area and a native of Savanna. Was performed to determine the exchangeable cations, particle size analysis, bulk density, organic carbon, particle size fractionation of organic matter of the soil with the quantification of particulate organic carbon (POC) and organic carbon associated with minerals (OCam). Was also quantified the carbon stock and size fractions. The area of pasture / maize showed higher carbon stock in the particulate fraction in the topsoil. The area of cotton / soy due to its lower clay, showed the greatest loss of carbon. Because of the areas have the same history, the stock of more recalcitrant fraction was not sensitive to variations in coverage. The POC fraction appears more sensitive to different soil covers and seasonality.

Stream nutrient enrichment has a greater effect on coarse than on fine benthic organic matter

Nutrient enrichment affects bacteria and fungi associated with detritus, but little is known about how biota associated with different size fractions of organic matter respond to nutrients. Bacteria dominate on fine (<1 mm) and fungi dominate on coarse (>1 mm) fractions, which are used by different groups of detritivores. We measured the effect of experimental nutrient enrichment on fungal and bacterial biomass, microbial respiration, and detrital nutrient content on benthic fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) and coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM). We collected FPOM and CPOM from 1 reference and 1 enriched stream. CPOM substrates consisted of 2 litter types with differing initial C:nutrient ratios (Acer rubrum L. and Rhododendron maximum L.). Fungal and bacterial biomass, respiration, and detrital nutrient content changed with nutrient enrichment, and effects were greater on CPOM than on FPOM. Fungal biomass dominated on CPOM (∼99% total microbial biomass), whereas bacterial biomass dominated on FPOM (∼95% total microbial biomass). These contributions were unchanged by nutrient enrichment. Bacterial and fungal biomass increased more on CPOM than FPOM. Respiration increased more on CPOM (up to 300% increase) than FPOM (∼50% increase), indicating important C-loss pathways from these resources. Microbial biomass and detrital nutrient content were positively related. Greater changes in nutrient content were observed on CPOM than on FPOM, and changes in detrital C:P were greater than changes in detrital C:N. Threshold elemental ratios analyses indicated that enrichment may reduce P limitation for shredders and exacerbate C limitation for collector-gatherers. Changes in CPOM-dominated pathways are critical in predicting shifts in detrital resource quality and C flow that may result from nutrient enrichment of detritus-based systems.

Effects of dissolved organic matter size fractions on trihalomethanes formation in MBR effluents during chlorine disinfection

In this study, effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) size fractions on trihalomethanes (THMs) formation in MBR effluents during chlorination were investigated by fractionating DOM into >100, 30–100, 10–30, 5–10 and <5kDa fractions using ultrafiltration (UF) membranes based on molecular weight (MW). Fractions of MW>30kDa constituted 87% of DOM and were the main THMs precursors, which exhibited higher specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) and THMs formation potential (THMFP) and should be reduced to control THMs formation. For these fractions, THMs formation was mostly attributed to slow chlorine decay, and THMs yield coefficients were low because halogenated intermediates derived from the macromolecular DOM were difficult to decompose to produce THMs. Moreover, there was a strong linear correlation between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and THMFP (R2=0.981), as well as between the SUVA and specific THMFP (R2=0.993) in all fractions.

Diagenetic alterations of amino acids and organic matter in the upper Pearl River Estuary surface sediments

Abstract. The objective of this study was to investigate the diagenetic alteration of sediment organic matter (OM) in the upper Pearl River Estuary. Sediment analyses were conducted for three size fractions of OM, including coarse particulate OM (CPOM), fine particulate OM (FPOM), and ultrafiltered dissolved OM (UDOM). Results showed that the highest and lowest carbon (C): nitrogen (N) ratios were in CPOM and UDOM, respectively, indicating that CPOM was relatively enriched in organic C. The highest average total N content in the FPOM fraction showed that FPOM was enriched in N-containing molecules. Our study showed that the "size-reactivity continuum" model was applicable to sediment particulate and dissolved OM. Distributions of amino acids and their D-isomers among the sediment fractions indicated that the amino acid-based diagenetic index, C:N ratio, and percentage of total N represented by total hydrolysable amino acids could be used as diagenetic indicators. Furthermore, the diagenetic state of sediment OM could also be characterized by C- and N-normalized yields of total D-amino acids, and C- and N-normalized yields of D-alanine, D-glutamic acid, and D-serine.

Effects of sugarcane (&lt;i&gt;Saccharum officinarum&lt;/i&gt;) cultivation on soil quality in the semi-arid tropics of Sudan

This study was carried out to determine the effects of cultivation period of sugarcane on some quality parameters of a vertisols. Samples were collected from the 0-30 and 30-60 cm depths of fields (subjected to burning during harvest of cane) cultivated for 29, 25 and 10 years and also from an adjacent fallow area. The samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (ECe), saturation percentage (SP), bulk density (BD), organic carbon (OC), total N (TN), particle size distribution, dry aggregate stability (DAS), soil organic matter (SOM) associated with sand size fractions (POM) and mineral N (NH4 +-N and NO3 - -N) accumulation during decomposition of soil organic matter. Results showed that cultivation or cultivation period significantly decreased SP, OC, DAS, clay content and amount of soil organic matter size fractions, while cultivation period showed no significant effect on either amount, or content of C and N of these fractions. During early weeks of mineralization of SOM, mineral N was significantly lower due to cultivation as such or in fields subjected to extended periods of cultivation. It is quite evident that the quality of heavy clay soils (e.g. vertisols) would be recovered more easily if the crop residues during harvest of the cane are incorporated into the soil. This is possibly due to the greater physical protection (due to high clay content) of organic matter against break down, thereby, improving their chances of sequestration. It is also concluded that long-term cultivation enhanced removal of fine clay particles, which might results in the long-term creation of a hard pan. Keywords: Sugarcane, vertisols, soil quality, semi-arid tropics, Sudan

Size fractionation of organic matter and heavy metals in raw and treated leachate

This study characterized the organic matter and heavy metals in the leachate from two typical municipal solid waste (MSW) sanitary landfills in China, the recently established (3-year-old) Liulitun landfill and the mature (11-year-old) Beishenshu landfill, using a size fractionation procedure. The organic matter of all raw and treated leachate samples primarily existed in a truly-dissolved fraction with an apparent molecular weight (AMW) of <1 kDa, and its percentage decreased with an increase in overall AMW. The leachate from the newer landfill had a higher percentage of truly-dissolved organic matter. After anaerobic treatment, this leachate had a similar size fraction of organic matter to that seen for the raw leachate of the mature landfill. Biochemical processes had different removal efficiencies for various types of AMW organic matter, and the concentration of moderate AMW organic matter appeared to increase throughout these processes. Most of the heavy metals existed in a colloidal fraction (AMW >1 kDa and particle size <0.45 microm). The behaviors of different species of heavy metals had large variations. The size fractions of heavy metal species were significantly affected by treatment processes and landfill age, except for Zn. The concentration ratio of heavy metals to organic matter was maximal in the colloidal fraction and showed an inverse change to that seen for organic matter concentration changes caused by biochemical processes. Consequently, the pollution levels of heavy metals were substantially increased by treatment processes, although their concentrations decreased.

Soil solution and stream water chemistry in a forested catchment II: Influence of organic matter

Differences between recharge and discharge areas in soil forming processes and nutrient conditions were observed in an earlier study of a catchment area in central Sweden (63°07′N, 16°70′E; Vestin, J.L.K., Norström, S.H., Bylund, D., Mellander, P-E., Lundström, U.S., submitted for publication to Geoderma. Soil solution and stream water chemistry in a forested catchment, I Dynamics.). To further examine the factors that determine the soil and stream water properties in the catchment area, the present study focused on the organic dynamics and the association of cations to different size fractions of organic matter. Six sampling plots were established in each of the recharge and discharge areas, respectively, with samples taken in June 2004. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and cation concentrations in the soil solution and stream water were determined. In the recharge area, low molecular mass (LMM) organics played an important role in transportation of several cations through the soil profile, inducing the podzolisation process by associating with Al and Fe. In the discharge area close to the stream, high molecular mass (HMM) organics appeared to play a crucial role in transportation of cations. Here the majority of recovered cations were associated with HMM organic matter, inhibiting the podzolisation process. The total concentration of C and DOC was higher than in the recharge area, and the concentration of cations increased with depth in the mineral soil. In the stream water, as in the discharge area soil solution, all carboxylic groups were associated to cations. Both Al and Fe were completely associated with the HMM DOC fraction, which indicated a rapid turnover of LMM DOC in stream water. Thus we conclude that DOC plays an important role in soil forming processes, and that its different size fractions have large effects on the transportation of elements in different soils and in stream water.

Major bacterial contribution to the ocean reservoir of detrital organic carbon and nitrogen

Bacterial biomarkers (D‐amino acids and muramic acid) were measured in various organic matter size fractions collected in the North Pacific and North Atlantic, and they were used to quantitatively estimate bacterial contributions to particulate and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen reservoirs. The origins and yields of biomarkers were determined in cultured marine bacteria, and the results indicated that D‐amino acids are derived from numerous macromolecules in addition to peptidoglycan and are not solely from peptidoglycan. Bacterial detritus was a major component of particulate organic matter (POM) and is an important source of submicronsize particles and colloids in the ocean. Peptidoglycan was a substantial component of POM but not of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Compositional differences between POM and DOM primarily reflected the selective incorporation of specific bacterial components into these reservoirs. Autotrophic and heterotrophic bacterial sources were not quantified separately, but the presence of D‐aspartic acid (D‐Asx) and D‐serine (D‐Ser) suggested that heterotrophic sources were substantial. The average reactivity of bacterial organic matter was comparable to that of the bulk organic carbon pool. Bacteria were important sources of labile, semilabile, and refractory dissolved organic carbon. Bacterial organic matter accounted for ~25% of particulate and dissolved organic carbon and ~50% of particulate and dissolved organic nitrogen. These results demonstrate the importance of bacteria in regulating the ocean carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Source and transport of terrigenous organic matter in the upper Yukon River: Evidence from isotope (δ13C, Δ14C, and δ15N) composition of dissolved, colloidal, and particulate phases

Natural organic matter was collected from the upper Yukon River and size fractionated into the &lt;1 kDa low‐molecular‐weight dissolved (LMW‐DOC), colloidal (COC, 1 kDa to 0.45 μm) and particulate organic carbon (POC, &gt;0.45 μm) phases for characterization of elemental (C and N) and isotopic (13C, 14C and 15N) composition to examine their sources and transport. Concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC) decreased from 3010 μM in mid‐May to 608 μM in September, accompanying an increase in river water δ18O from the snowmelt to summer and early fall. COC was the predominant OC species, comprising, on average, 63 ± 8% of the TOC, with 23 ± 5% partitioned in the LMW‐DOC and 14 ± 5% in the POC fraction. Annual riverine export flux to the ocean was 2.02 × 1012 g‐C for TOC, 7.66 × 1010 g‐N for total organic nitrogen (TON), and 3.53 × 1012 g‐C for dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), respectively. The C/N molar ratios were distinctly different between colloidal organic matter (COM, 46 ± 3) and particulate organic matter (POM, 15 ± 1.4). Similar δ13C values were found for LMW‐DOM (−27.9 ± 0.5‰), COM (−27.4 ± 0.2‰), and POM (−26.2 ± 0.7‰), although there was a general increase with increasing size, suggesting a common terrigenous organic source. In contrast, distinct Δ14C values were found for LMW‐DOC (−155 to +91‰), COC (40 to 140‰), and POC (−467 to −253‰) with a decreasing trend from snowmelt to ice‐open season, suggesting that turnover pathways and transport mechanisms vary with organic matter size fractions. The high abundance of COC and its contemporary 14C ages points to a predominant source from modern terrestrial primary production, likely from the leaching/decomposition of fresh plant litter in the upper soil horizon. The predominately old POC (average 3698 ± 902 years B.P.), in contrast, was largely derived from riverbank erosion and melting of permafrost. These results imply that ice‐opening Yukon River flows are dominated by snowmelt (low δ18O) with high DOC (high Δ14C) but low DIC and Si(OH)4 concentrations, whereas late summer flows contain more products of permafrost or ice melt and rain (high δ18O), with low DOC (low Δ14C) but high DIC and Si(OH)4 concentrations. A warming climate with a deeper permafrost active layer in the Yukon River watershed would enhance the mobilization and export of old terrestrial OC, but largely in the particulate form into the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean.

Potential for the formation and migration of colloidal material from a near-surface waste disposal site

Organic material typically constitutes a substantial volume (∼ 90%) of the low-level radioactive wastes (LLRW) intended for near-surface disposal at Chalk River Laboratories (CRL), Ontario, Canada. These wastes can contain a large variety of organic materials, including paper, cardboard, plastic bags, used clothing, and mop heads. After emplacement in a disposal facility, leaching of the LLRW by water can mobilize inorganic and organic substances, ranging from small molecules such as acetic acid to unidentifiable material of colloidal size range. This study determined the potential for colloid formation produced by LLRW degradation, because colloid-facilitated transport of contaminants could affect the safety performance of a disposal facility. The decomposition of compacted LLRW was simulated by recirculating water in a closed system over several compacted bales of waste to determine the potential composition and colloid content of leachates. Size fractionation of organic matter was performed on leachate samples that had been aged for 18 months to simulate the microbial degradation of organic matter within leachates during migration out of the LLRW disposal facility. The aged leachates contained high concentrations of dissolved organic matter, ranging between 74 and 5074 mg/l as C. In most of the leachates, volatile fatty acids accounted for a significant fraction (up to 81%) of the dissolved organic carbon. Although 5–110 mg/l of organic colloids were observed in leachates, in most cases, the organic colloids made up a very small fraction of the total leached organic carbon. Therefore, since the complexation properties of dissolved and colloidal organics are probably similar, contaminants complexed to organics are most likely to be dissolved and not affected by colloid transport. The leachates also contained significant quantities of Fe and Al, which could potentially precipitate Fe and Al as colloids after oxidation. Although a significant portion of the dissolved Fe may have been produced by the corrosion of the ☐es used to contain the bales, the high Fe concentrations could be representative of leachates from LLRW that contain metallic Fe components. If Fe and Al colloids are stable, stable concentrations in LLRW leachates could be high enough to affect contaminant transport. Therefore, the Fe and Al content of LLRW should be minimized. The concentrations of natural colloids in sandy aquifers, such as those found at CRL are too low to affect contaminant migration significantly.

Organic matter processing by a stream‐segment ecosystem: Fort River, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

AbstractAn annual organic matter budget for a 1700 m segment of Fort River (Massachusetts, USA) is presented. Primary production in this fourth order stream exceeds litter input annually, however ecosystem P/R is 0.5. Respiration in excess of gross primary production is supported by allochthonous organic matter imported from upstream reaches. The relative contribution of organic matter size fractions to stream consumers depends upon biologic lability, rate of input, and residence time in the ecosystem. Particles of seston size (1 μm to 1 mm) are most heavily used by consumers, however dissolved organic matter represents the largest input component. Microorganisms are the predominant consumers in this soft‐water, nutrient‐poor stream ecosystem. A conceptual model for assessing the processing efficiency of stream ecosystems is presented and discussed in terms of several headwater to estuary gradients.