Radiocarbon age of different photoreactive fractions of freshwater dissolved organic matter

TitleRadiocarbon age of different photoreactive fractions of freshwater dissolved organic matter
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsIshikawa, NF, Butman, D, Raymond, PA
JournalOrganic Geochemistry
Volume135
Pagination11 - 15
Date PublishedJan-09-2019
ISSN01466380
Keywordsdissolved organic carbon, Mixing model, Oxidation time, UV irradiation, Δ14C
Abstract

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays a major role in aquatic carbon cycling. In order to determine if DOC photolability was related to DOC age, we tested the effect of oxidation time using UV irradiation on natural radiocarbon concentrations (Δ14C) of DOC in six US rivers. The most photo-labile DOC was 14C youngest. After a 100 min UV irradiation, most DOC (>93%) was oxidized in two out of the six rivers studied. On the other hand, the other four rivers still had a considerable amount (>20%) of DOC resistant to UV oxidation, which showed lower Δ14C values than those of bulk DOC. We also found that the concentration and Δ14C value of bulk DOC are controlled by the photochemically intermediate fraction. The results suggest that 14C age of organic matter is not homogeneous within DOC, the degree of which may depend on the characteristics unique to rivers.

URLhttps://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S014663801930107X
DOI10.1016/j.orggeochem.2019.06.006