Photogeochemistry of particulate organic matter in aquatic systems: A review

Mechanistic insight into the impact of interaction between goethite and humic acid on the photooxidation and photoreduction of bifenthrin

Numerous application of pyrethroid insecticides has led to their accumulation in the environment, threatening ecological environment and human health. Its fate in the presence of iron-bearing minerals and natural organic matter under light irradiation is still unknown. We found that goethite (Gt) and humic acid (HA) could improve the photodegradation of bifenthrin (BF) in proper concentration under light irradiation. The interaction between Gt and HA may further enhance BF degradation. On one hand, the adsorption of HA on Gt may decrease the photocatalytic activity of HA through decreasing HA content in solution and sequestering the functional groups related with the production of reactive species. On the other hand, HA could improve the photocatalytic activity of Gt through extending light absorption, lowing of bandgap energy, hindering the recombination of photo-generated charges, and promoting the oxidation and reduction reaction on Gt surface. The increased oxygen vacancies on Gt surface along with the reduction of trivalent iron and the nucleophilic attack of hole to surface hydroxyl group contributed to the increasing photocatalytic activity of Gt. Electron paramagnetic resonance and quenching studies demonstrated that both oxidation species, such as hydroxyl radical (•OH) and singlet oxygen (1O2), and reducing species, such as hydrogen atoms (H•) and superoxide anion radical (O2•-), contributed to BF degradation in UV-Gt-HA system. Mass spectrometry, ion chromatography, and toxicity assessment indicated that less toxic C23H22ClF3O3 (OH-BF), C9H10ClF3O (TFP), C14H14O2 (OH-MBP), C14H12O2 (MBP acid), C14H12O3 (OH-MBP acid), and chloride ions were the main degradation products. The production of OH-BF, MPB, and TFP acid through oxidation and the production of MPB and TFP via reduction were the two primary pathways of BF degradation.

Particles-involved photochemical processes: A review for the case of mercury reduction in relation to aquatic mercury cycling

Mercury (Hg) is one of the toxic metals of global and environmental concern, with aquatic Hg cycling being central in determining the production of highly toxic methylmercury and the air-water Hg exchange influencing the long-range intercontinental atmospheric Hg transport. Both inorganic and organic forms of Hg can be bound by suspended particles, including inorganic minerals (in particular metal oxides/sulfides) and particulate organic matter. Photochemical transformation is a critical process in surface water, and the role of suspended particles in Hg redox photoreactions has increasingly emerged, albeit in limited studies in comparison to extensive studies on aqueous (homogeneous) photoreactions of Hg. The lack of understanding of what roles suspended particles play might result in inaccurate estimation of how Hg species transform and/or cycle in the environment. In view of this gap, this paper critically reviews and synthesizes information on the studies conducted on different natural surface waters with respect to the potential roles of suspended particles on Hg photo-redox reactions. It robustly discusses the various possible pathways and/or mechanisms of particle-mediated Hg (II) reduction, in enhancing or lowering the production of dissolved gaseous mercury. These processes include photo hole-electron pair formation and reactive oxygen species generation from particle excitation and their involvement in Hg photoreduction, in addition to the light attenuation effect of particles. This paper highlights the necessity of future studies exploiting these particles-mediated Hg photoreactions pathways and the implications of including these heterogeneous photoreactions (together with particulate elemental Hg species) on the air-water Hg exchange estimation.

Source, composition and molecular diversity of dissolved and particulate organic matter varied with riparian land use in tropical coastal headstreams

Source, composition and molecular diversity determine the reactivity and stabilization of organic matter (OM, dissolved [DOM]/particulate [POM]), affecting its behavior and fate. Here, multiple spectral and mass spectrometry techniques were applied to examine how riparian land-use shaped the source, composition and molecular diversity of POM and DOM (HDOM) in adjacent headstreams. Compared to HDOM with abundant lignins, microbially-transformed heteroatoms and carboxyl-rich alicyclic acids (CRAMs), POM exhibited higher allochthonous characteristics and more bioactive components, but lower molecular weight and diversity in different land-use-dominated streams. Compared to wetland-dominated headstreams, both POM and HDOM exhibited more terrestrial origin and condensed aromatics/tannins molecules for agriculture-impacted headstreams and bio-labile lipids, proteins and carbohydrates for forest-impacted headstreams. Structural equation mode (SEM) showed that soil-derived DOM (SDOM) showed the most prominent influence on the source, composition and molecular diversity of POM and the source of HDOM. The molecular composition and diversity of HDOM were mainly influenced by soil properties/SDOM and aquatic microorganisms, respectively. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that autochthonous, bio-labile compositions of POM in forest and wetland streams were positively related to aquatic Bacteroidetes/Cyanobacteria, and carbohydrates/biogenic index of SDOM, while that of HDOM were positively linked with aquatic Bacteroidetes/Cyanobacteria, and SDOM molecular diversity. Terrestrial and aromatic POM in agricultural headstreams were associated with aquatic total nitrogen/Actinobacteria, and humification degree, aromatic/phenolic substances of SDOM, while that of HDOM were mainly regulated by aquatic nitrate/total nitrogen/Actinobacteria, and aromatic/carboxylic-containing moieties of SDOM. Noteworthily, the molecular diversity of agricultural OM increased along the soil-stream continuum due to the input of soil condensed aromatics and tannins. The opposite trend was observed in forest and wetland streams due to the input of bioactive carbohydrates and the microbial-degradation in-stream. These results are helpful to predict the behavior and fate of OM and determine effective management strategies in tropical coastal regions undergoing intense anthropogenic alterations.

Photochemical behavior of dissolved organic matter derived from Alternanthera philoxeroides hydrochar: Insights from molecular transformation and photochemically reactive intermediates

Hydrochar-derived dissolved organic matter (HDOM) enters aquatic ecosystems through soil leaching and surface runoff following the application of hydrochar. However, the photochemical behavior of HDOM remains unclear. The photo-transformation of HDOM was analyzed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), multiple spectroscopy methods, high-performance liquid chromatography, and combining synchronous fluorescence and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. The results showed that with the increase of carbonization temperature, amide II in protein-like substances were observed to be preferentially photolyzed, and the protein-like substances were more sensitive to low irradiation time, while the duration time of the photochemical behavior of amide II and aliphatic C-H were more persistent. FT-ICR MS results showed that N and S-containing molecules, including lignins and lipids were more sensitive to ultraviolet irradiation. Furthermore, the photo-transformation of HDOMs was accompanied by the generation of triple excited state dissolved organic matter and singlet oxygen. Our findings will be beneficial for understanding the mechanisms of photo-transformation of HDOM and for predicting the possible behaviors of hydrochar produced at different temperatures before large-scale application.

Distinct seasonal variations of dissolved organic matter across two large freshwater lakes in China: Lability profiles and predictive modeling

Biological lability of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a crucial indicator of carbon cycle and contaminant attenuation in freshwater lakes. In this study, we employed a multi-stage plug-flow bioreactor and spectrofluorometric indices to characterize the seasonal variations in DOM composition and lability across Poyang Lake (PY) and Lake Taihu (TH), two large freshwater lakes in China with distinct hydrological seasonality. Our findings showed that the export of floodplain-derived organics and river-lake interaction led to a remarkable increase in terrestrial aromatic and humic-like DOM with high molecular weights and long turnover times in PY. Consequently, the labile fraction was extremely low (average LDOC% of 3%) during the rising-to-flood season (spring and summer). Conversely, autochthonous production in TH considerably enriched semi-labile (average SDOC% of 26%) and biodegradable DOM (average BDOC% of 34%) during the phytoplankton bloom to post-bloom season (summer and autumn). This was reflected by the accumulation of low-light-absorbing and protein-like components with high biological and fluorescence indices. In the dry and non-bloom season (winter), the better preservation of humic substances maintained the high molecular weight and humic degree of DOM in PY, while the decay of aquatic plants strengthened autochthonous production, resulting in a similar BDOC% of PY samples (23%-34%) to TH samples (18%-33%). We further applied partial least squares regression using DOM optical indices as predictive proxies, which generated a greater prediction strength for BDOC% (R² = 0.80) compared to SDOC% (R² = 0.57) and LDOC% (R² = 0.28). The regression model identified aromaticity (SUVA₂₅₄) as the most effective and negative predictor and low molecular weight (A₂₅₀/A₃₆₅) as the highly and positively influential factor. Our study provides new evidence that the seasonality of DOM lability profiles is regulated by the trade-off between flow-related variation and phytoplankton production, and presents an approach to describe and predict DOM lability across freshwater lakes.

Water-soluble organic carbon release from mineral soils and sediments in an irrigated agricultural system

Water interactions with soil and vegetation are greatly altered in agricultural watersheds compared to natural landscapes, which impacts sources and fates of organic carbon (OC). While mineral soil horizons in natural ecosystems primarily act as filters for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from organic surface horizons, tilled soils largely lack an organic horizon and their mineral horizons therefore act as a source for both DOC and sediment to surface waters. Irrigated watersheds highlight this difference, as DOC and total suspended sediment (TSS) concentrations simultaneously increase during the low-discharge irrigation season, suggesting that sediment-associated OC may constitute a significant source of DOC. While water-soluble OC (WSOC) from sediments and soils has been found to be compositionally similar to stream DOC, these contributions remain poorly quantified in agricultural streams. To address this, we conducted abiotic solubilization experiments using sediments (suspended and bed) and soils from an irrigated agricultural watershed in northern California, USA. Sediments (R² > 0.99) and soils (0.74 < R² < 0.89) displayed linear solubilization behaviors over the range of concentrations tested. Suspended sediment from the irrigation season exhibited the largest solubilization efficiency (10.9 ± 1.6% TOC_sediment solubilized) and potential (1.79 ± 0.26 mg WSOC g^-1 dry sediment), followed by suspended sediment from a winter storm, then bed sediment and soils. Successive solubilization experiments increased the total release of WSOC by ∼50%, but most (88-97%) of the solid-phase OC remained insoluble in water. Using these solubilization potential estimates and measured TSS concentrations, we estimated that WSOC from suspended sediment in streams represented 4-7% of the annual DOC export from the watershed. However, field sediment export is much higher than what is represented by suspended sediment in the water column, therefore field-scale contributions from sediments could be much higher than estimated.

A classification-based approach to mapping particulate organic matter (POM) in inland water using OLCI images

Particulate organic matter (POM) plays a major role in freshwater ecosystems by serving as a bridge for the conversion of various nutrients. The composition and sources of POM in inland lakes are complex, making it difficult to estimate its concentration accurately via remote sensing. Therefore, a classification-based method based on the sources and composition of POM is proposed for estimating POM concentrations in inland lakes. In this study, 379 samples were collected from ten lakes in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) at different times. A water-type classification method based on OLCI [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] was developed for POM estimation based on biological and optical characteristics. Water type 1 is relatively clear, and POM may originate from aquatic vegetation or sediment. Water type 2 was dominated by inorganic suspended matter, and POM mainly originated from the attachment and entrainment of inorganic minerals. Water type 3 is an algae-dominated water body, and POM is mainly derived from fresh algal particles and the microbial degradation of phytoplankton. Therefore, specific POM estimation algorithms were developed for each water type. OLCI [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] were used for water type 1; [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] were adopted for water type 2; and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] were selected for water type 3. Using an independent dataset to evaluate the estimation accuracy of the developed algorithm, the results show that the estimation performance of this algorithm is significantly improved compared to the two other algorithms used; the mean absolute percentage errors (MAPE) decreased from 72.56% and 52.21% to 32.61%, and the root mean square errors (RMSE) decreased from 3.05 mg/L and 2.24 mg/L to 1.75 mg/L. A random error analysis of the atmospheric correction demonstrated that this algorithm is robust and can still perform well within a random error of 30%. Finally, this method was successfully applied to map the POM concentrations in the YRD using OLCI images acquired on November 12, 2020.

The Roles of Different Fractions in Freshwater Biofilms in the Photodegradation of Methyl Orange and Bisphenol A in Aqueous Solutions

Freshwater biofilms play an important role in the migration and transformation of organic pollutants, especially under illumination conditions. Nonetheless, the roles of variable fractions in freshwater biofilms, e.g., extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), microbial cells and original biofilms, in promoting the photodegradation of trace organic pollutants remain largely unclear. In this study, two contaminants, i.e., methyl orange (MO) and bisphenol A (BPA), were selected, and the roles of different fractions in freshwater biofilms in their photodegradation performances were investigated. After dosing 696 mg/L SS biofilm harvested from an effluent-receiving river, the direct photodegradation rate of MO and BPA was increased 8.7 times and 5.6 times, respectively. River biofilm EPS contained more aromatic fractions, chromogenic groups and conjugated structures than biofilm harvested from a less eutrophic pond, which might be responsible for the enhanced photodegradation process. The quenching experiments suggested that when EPS fractions derived from river biofilm were dosed, ³EPS* was the major reactive oxygen species during the photodegradation of MO and BPA. Meanwhile, for EPS derived from the pond biofilm, ·OH/¹O₂ was predominantly responsible for the enhanced photodegradation. Batch experimental results suggested that the cells and EPS in river biofilms could collaboratively interact with each other to enhance the preservation of reactive species and protection of microbes, thus facilitating the photoactivity of biofilms. Our results might suggest that biofilms generated from eutrophic waterbodies, such as effluent-receiving rivers, could play a more important role in the photodegradation processes of contaminants.