Correlation of Dissolved Organic Matter Fluorescence and Several Metals Concentration in a Freshwater System

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) strongly influences several ecosystem processes, including the reduction of solar radiation, control of nutrient availability, modification of contaminant toxicity, and energy cycling. Using fluorescence spectroscopy, one of the most important DOM features, metal binding affinity, has been characterized, due to its direct effect on aquatic ecosystems. This paper presents the analysis of the relationship between type and concentration of metal ions and DOM fluorescence for water sampled from Arges River. The results suggest that certain competitive complexation processes occur among metal ions and that iron and chromium ions have the most significant impact on DOM fluorescence.