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Photochemical production and decomposition of particulate organic carbon in a freshwater stream

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Abstract

Irradiation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of terrestrial origin that is freshly released to surface waters can produce particulate organic carbon (POC). Laboratory experiments with stream water were conducted to determine POC and particulate metals formation during exposure to artificial solar radiation comparable to surface intensity. The results showed that decreases in DOC concentration were accompanied initially by increasing and later by decreasing POC concentrations. Data were fit to first order kinetics models to compare rates of POC formation and loss with DOC and absorbance loss, and to better understand how metals might be involved in photochemical POC formation. This abiotic mechanism may be important for the transfer of allochthonous DOC and metals to sediments in temperate aquatic systems.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Lance Aspden and Christiane Guay for sampling, Pamela Wee and Martina Porcalová for lab assistance. This research was made possible by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Strategic grant. The preparation of this manuscript was supported by the Czech Science Foundation project P503/12/0781. We would also like to thank three anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Resource Studies, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada

    Petr Porcal & Peter J. Dillon

  2. Biology Centre of the AS CR, v.v.i., Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Petr Porcal

  3. Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Lewis A. Molot

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  1. Petr Porcal
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  2. Peter J. Dillon
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  3. Lewis A. Molot
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Correspondence to Petr Porcal.

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Porcal, P., Dillon, P.J. & Molot, L.A. Photochemical production and decomposition of particulate organic carbon in a freshwater stream. Aquat Sci 75, 469–482 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-013-0293-8

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