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Characterisation of dissolved organic matter in Parisian urban aquatic systems: predominance of hydrophilic and proteinaceous structures

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Abstract

Understanding the nature of organic matter is a necessary first step in assessing contaminant bioavailability and allowing water supply managers to optimise the treatment train in the aim of providing safe and inexpensive drinking water. This study provides further insight into the composition, structure and functional groups of dissolved organic matter (DOM) (both hydrophobic and hydrophilic) from urban aquatic systems by means of various analytical techniques (DAX-8/XAD-4 fractionation, elemental analysis, UV and FTIR spectroscopies, 13C and 15N isotopic analysis, size exclusion chromatography and Pyrolysis-GC-MS). The analytical range chosen for this study constitutes a powerful tool in the characterisation of DOM in urban water. The inclusion of information from one technique to the next might not only serve as a support to each one, but also as a complement. The DOM fraction from treated effluent and, more generally, DOM from urban water (i.e. receiving treated effluent) display a strong hydrophilic characteristic [i.e. low humic substance (HS) content, low SUVA], along with a high distribution in molecular weights observed by SEC and low average molecular weight. Due to the origin of this DOM, proteinaceous structures constitute the main compounds, as observed by FTIR and Py-GC-MS. Such characteristics (i.e. heterogeneity, low average molecular weight and diverse functional groups, which make up a total of N) could explain that DOM from treated effluent displayed a strong reactive potential metals pollutants as previously demonstrated.

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Abbreviations

DEHP:

Diethylhexyl phthalate

DOC:

Dissolved organic carbon

DOM:

Dissolved organic matter

FTIR:

Fourier transformed infrared

HPI:

Hydrophilic

HPO:

Hydrophobic

HS:

Humic substances

NHS:

Non-humic substances

Py-GC-MS:

Pyrolysis associated with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

RO:

Reverse osmosis

SRFA:

Suwannee River fulvic acid

SEC:

Size exclusion chromatography

SUVA:

Specific ultraviolet absorbance

TPI:

Transphilic

WWTP:

Wastewater treatment plant

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Paris Metropolitan Wastewater Authority (SIAAP) for providing access to the sampling site. Gratitude is also addressed to David Violleau for his valuable assistance in DOM fractionation, and to Leslie Curie for her technical assistance and the French Ministry of Research and Higher Education for its financial support in the form of a Ph.D. grant awarded to Benoît Pernet-Coudrier. This research work has also been financed by the French National Research Agency (ANR), as part of the BIOMET JC05_59809 project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LEESU, Université Paris-Est, UMR MA 102, 61 av. du Gal de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil Cedex, France

    B. Pernet-Coudrier, G. Varrault & M. Saad

  2. LCME, UMR CNRS 6008, Université de Poitiers, 40 Avenue du Recteur Pineau, 86022, Poitiers Cedex, France

    J. P. Croue

  3. UMR Bioemco (Biogéochimie et Ecologie des Milieux continentaux), INRA, CNRS, UPMC, Bldg Eger, 78850, Thiverval-Grignon, France

    M.-F. Dignac

  4. UMR Sisyphe, Université Pierre et Marie Curie—Paris 6, 4 place Jussieu, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France

    J.-M. Mouchel

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  1. B. Pernet-Coudrier
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  2. G. Varrault
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Correspondence to G. Varrault.

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Pernet-Coudrier, B., Varrault, G., Saad, M. et al. Characterisation of dissolved organic matter in Parisian urban aquatic systems: predominance of hydrophilic and proteinaceous structures. Biogeochemistry 106, 89–106 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9480-z

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