Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is quantitatively the most significant pool of organic matter in lakes. Within DOM, the pool of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is dominated (50–80%) by humic substances (HS). The aim of the present study was to determine the changes in quality of DOM along the longitudinal axis of Lake Balaton from the mouth of the Zala River (main inflow) to the eastern part (single outflow) of the lake. The composition of organic fractions and the contribution of HS to the total organic carbon (TOC) pool were determined. Different analytical methods (organic carbon analysis, size fractionation, colour and fluorescence measurements) were used. Our results demonstrated that in the total organic carbon pool of the lake, DOC was the dominant fraction (82–96%). The humic substances made up 75% of DOC at the mouth of the Zala River, and decreased to 55% toward the eastern part of the lake, while the contribution of fulvic acids (FA) to the HS pool increased from 75 to 99%. Along the longitudinal axis of the lake not only did the contribution of humic substances to the total DOC pool decrease, but also the Pt-colour and the fluorescence intensity, while the proportion of the higher molecular weight fractions increased, suggesting that the organic substances became more refractory.
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V.-Balogh, K., Vörös, L., Tóth, N. et al. Changes of organic matter quality along the longitudinal axis of a large shallow lake (Lake Balaton). Hydrobiologia 506, 67–74 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000008613.82484.0c
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000008613.82484.0c