Definition
Dissolved organic matter is a heterogeneous class of water-soluble compounds that contain reduced (organic) carbon from a variety of biological and geological sources with a wide range of chemical reactivity. Dissolved organic matter is a key component in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon.
Introduction
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is operationally defined as any organic matter that is able to pass through a filter. It is described in contrast to particulate organic matter (POM) retained on the filter. Traditionally, glass fiber filters with a nominal pore size of 0.7 μm were the standard. Currently, smaller-sized filters (0.2 μm) are often used because they are readily available and they remove most bacteria, which can degrade a DOM sample. DOM is derived from many sources both external and internal to an aquatic system. Dissolved organic matter is a complex mixture of organic molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen as well as the heteroatoms nitrogen,...
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Hartnett, H.E. (2018). Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM). In: White, W.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_155
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_155
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