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Comparison of dissolved organic matter fractions in a secondary effluent and a natural water

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Abstract

This research compared the structural and chemical characteristics among dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions within the same source and among different origins. Samples taken from the Taiping Wastewater Treatment Plant (TWTP) (Harbin, China) and from the Songhuajing River (SR), Heilongjiang Province, China were chosen to represent waters containing DOM of wastewater origin and of natural-water origin, respectively. DOM was fractionated using XAD resins into five fractions: hydrophobic acid (HPO-A), hydrophobic neutral (HPO-N), transphilic acid (TPI-A), transphilic neutral (TPI-N) and hydrophilic fraction (HPI). The SR fractions were more UV-sensitive and more reactive with chlorine in formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) than the TWTP secondary effluent (TSE) fractions. The aromatic character peaks in the Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of SR fractions were clearer than those of TSE fractions. On the other hand, the peaks of carbohydrates in TSE fractions were more prominent in comparison with SR fractions. In addition, the amide-2 peak was present in the spectra of all the five TSE fractions but not visible in the spectra of SR fractions. The fluorescence results showed that SR DOM fractions contained more fulvic acid-like fluorescent compounds while TSE DOM fractions had higher amounts of protein-like fluorescent components.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang, 110036, China

    Shuang Xue, Xiping Ma, Fayun Li & Jian Wang

  2. Key Lab of Pollution Control and Environmental Remediation of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, 110036, China

    Shuang Xue, Xiping Ma, Fayun Li & Jian Wang

  3. School of Municipal & Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China

    Qingliang Zhao & Liangliang Wei

  4. State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China

    Qingliang Zhao

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  1. Shuang Xue
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  2. Qingliang Zhao
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  3. Xiping Ma
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  4. Fayun Li
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  5. Jian Wang
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  6. Liangliang Wei
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Correspondence to Shuang Xue.

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Xue, S., Zhao, Q., Ma, X. et al. Comparison of dissolved organic matter fractions in a secondary effluent and a natural water. Environ Monit Assess 180, 371–383 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1793-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1793-9

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