title: Identification of humic acid-like and fulvic acid-like natural organic matter in river water using fluorescence spectroscopy.
abstract: Identifying the extent of humic acid (HA)-like and fulvic acid (FA)-like natural organic matter (NOM) present in natural water is important to assess disinfection by-product formation and fouling potential during drinking water treatment applications. However, the unique fluorescence properties related to HA-like NOM is masked by the fluorescence signals of the more abundant FA-like NOM. For this reason, it is not possible to accurately characterize HA-like and FA-like NOM components in a single water sample using direct fluorescence EEM analysis. A relatively simple approach is described here that demonstrates the feasibility of using a fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) approach for identifying HA-like and FA-like NOM fractions in water when used in combination with a series of pH adjustments and filtration steps. It is demonstrated that the fluorescence EEMS of HA-like and FA-like NOM fractions from the river water sample possessed different spectral properties. Fractionation of HA-like and FA-like NOM prior to fluorescence analysis is therefore proposed as a more reasonable approach.
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors: R H
authors: RH
authors: Peiris
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Budman
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Moresoli
authors: R L
authors: RL
authors: Legge
mesh_terms: D001578:Benzopyrans / Q000032:analysis*; D005374:Filtration; D006812:Humic Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009864:Ontario; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D001578:Benzopyrans; D006812:Humic Substances; C005023:fulvic acid