The Optical Characterization and Distribution of Dissolved Organic Matter in Water Regimes of Qilian Mountains Watershed

Min Xiao, Zhaochuan Chen, Yuan Zhang, Yanan Wen, Lihai Shang and Jun Zhong
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Min Xiao: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
Zhaochuan Chen: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
Yuan Zhang: Chongqing Municipal & Environmental Sanitation Monitoring Department, Chongqing 401121, China
Yanan Wen: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
Lihai Shang: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
Jun Zhong: Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: The constituents and content of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Qilian Mountain watershed were characterized with a spectroscopic technique, especially 3-DEEM fluorescence assisted by parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. The level of DOM in the surrounding area of Qinghai lake (thereafter the lake in this article specifically refers to Qinghai Lake)was highest at 9.45 mg C·L −1 and about 3 times less (3.09 mg C·L −1 ) in a cropland aquatic regime (the lowest value). In general, DOM was freshly autochthonously generated by plankton and plant debris, microorganisms and diagenetic effects in the aquatic environment (FI > 1.8). Component 1 (humic acid-like) and 3 (fulvic acid-like) determined the humification degree of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM). The spatial variation of sulfate and nitrate in the surrounding water regime of the lake revealed that organic molecules were mainly influenced by bacterial mediation. Mineral disintegration was an important and necessary process for fluorescent fraction formation in the cropland water regime. Exceptionally, organic moiety in the unused land area was affected by anespecially aridclimate in addition to microbial metabolic experience. Salinity became the critical factor determining the distribution of DOM, and the total normalized fluorescent intensity and CDOM level were lower in low-salinity circumstances (0.2–0.5 g·L −1 ) with 32.06 QSU and 1.38 m −1 in the grassland area, and higher salinity (0.6~0.8 g·L −1 ) resulted in abnormally high fluorescence of 150.62 QSU and absorption of 7.83 m −1 in the cropland water regime. Climatic conditions and microbial reactivity controlled by salinity were found to induce the above results. Our findings demonstrated that autochthonous inputs regulated DOM dynamics in the Qilian Mountains watershed of high altitude.

Keywords: dissolved organic matter; Qilian Mountains watershed; spectroscopic technique; autochthonous generation; mineral disintegration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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