Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the fraction of organic carbon operationally defined as that which can pass through a filter with a pore size typically between 0.22 and 0.7 micrometers. The fraction remaining on the filter is called particulate organic carbon (POC).
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a closely related term often used interchangeably with DOC. While DOC refers specifically to the mass of carbon in the dissolved organic material, DOM refers to the total mass of the dissolved organic matter. So DOM also includes the mass of other elements present in the organic material, such as nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen. DOC is a component of DOM and there is typically about twice as much DOM as DOC.Moody, C.S. and Worrall, F. (2017) "Modeling rates of DOC degradation using DOM composition and hydroclimatic variables". Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 122(5): 1175–1191. . Many statements that can be made about DOC apply equally to DOM, and vice versa.
DOC is abundant in marine and freshwater systems and is one of the greatest cycled reservoirs of organic matter on Earth, accounting for the same amount of carbon as in the atmosphere and up to 20% of all organic carbon. In general, organic carbon compounds are the result of decomposition processes from dead organic matter including plants and animals. DOC can originate from within or outside any given body of water. DOC originating from within the body of water is known as autochthonous DOC and typically comes from aquatic plants or algae, while DOC originating outside the body of water is known as allochthonous DOC and typically comes from soils or terrestrial plants. When water originates from land areas with a high proportion of organic soils, these components can drain into rivers and lakes as DOC.
The marine DOC pool is important for the functioning of marine ecosystems because they are at the interface between the chemical and the biological worlds. DOC fuels marine food webs, and is a major component of the Earth's carbon cycling.Lønborg, C., Carreira, C., Jickells, T. and Álvarez-Salgado, X.A. (2020) "Impacts of global change on ocean dissolved organic carbon (DOC) cycling". Frontiers in Marine Science, 7: 466. . Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Overview
DOC is a basic nutrient, supporting growth of microorganisms and plays an important role in the global carbon cycle through the microbial loop. In some organisms (stages) that do not feed in the traditional sense, dissolved matter may be the only external food source. Moreover, DOC is an indicator of organic loadings in streams, as well as supporting terrestrial processing (e.g., within soil, forests, and wetlands) of organic matter. In the absence of extensive wetlands, bogs, or swamps, baseflow concentrations of DOC in undisturbed watersheds generally range from approximately 1 to 20 mg/L carbon. Carbon concentrations considerably vary across ecosystems. For example, the Everglades may be near the top of the range and the middle of oceans may be near the bottom. Occasionally, high concentrations of organic carbon indicate anthropogenic influences, but most DOC originates naturally.
Three main processes transform and remove DOC from an ecosystem: biodegradation, where microorganisms consume DOC, photodegradation, where light breaks it down, and flocculation, where DOC compounds aggregate or attach to particles. Both chemical properties and environmental factors affect how quickly different DOC compounds are degraded. In general, the different degradation processes target different DOC compounds.
The BDOC (bioavailable dissolved organic carbon) fraction consists of organic molecules that heterotrophic bacteria can use as a source of energy and carbon. Some subset of DOC constitutes the precursors of disinfection byproducts for drinking water. BDOC can contribute to undesirable biological regrowth within water distribution systems.
The dissolved fraction of total organic carbon (TOC) is an operational classification. Many researchers use the term "dissolved" for compounds that pass through a 0.45 μm filter, but 0.22 μm filters have also been used to remove higher colloidal concentrations.
A practical definition of dissolved typically used in marine chemistry is all substances that pass through a GF/F filter, which has a nominal pore size of approximately 0.7 μm (Whatman glass microfiber filter, 0.6–0.8 μm particle retention). The recommended procedure is the HTCO technique, which calls for filtration through pre-combusted glass fiber filters, typically the GF/F classification.
Reactivity Dissolved organic matter can be degraded quickly or slowly, depending on its reactivity. Quickly degraded DOC can be classified as labile while persistent DOC can be considered recalcitrant or refractory. While labile DOC can degrade within seconds, refractory DOC can escape degradation and persist in the ocean for millennia. Depending on the origin and composition of DOC, its behavior and cycling are different. In the coastal ocean, organic matter from terrestrial plant litter or soils appears to be more refractoryCauwet G (2002) "DOM in the Coastal Zone". In: Hansell D and Carlson C (Eds.) Biogeochemistry of Marine Dissolved Organic Matter, pages 579–610, Elsevier. . and thus often behaves conservatively. In addition, refractory DOC is produced in the ocean by the bacterial transformation of labile DOC, which reshapes its composition.. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Due to the continuous production and degradation in natural systems, the DOC pool contains a spectrum of reactive compounds each with their own reactivity, that have been divided into fractions from labile to recalcitrant, depending on the turnover times, as shown in the following table...
DOC fraction acronym turnover time amount labile DOCL hours to days < 200 Tg C semi-labile DOCSL weeks to months ~600 Tg C semi-recalcitrant DOCSR decades ~1400 Tg C recalcitrant DOCR thousands of years ~63000 Tg C highly resistant tens of thousands of years
This wide range in turnover or degradation times has been linked with the chemical composition, structure and molecular size, but degradation also depends on the environmental conditions (e.g., nutrients), prokaryote diversity, redox state, iron availability, mineral-particle associations, temperature, sun-light exposure, biological production of recalcitrant compounds, and the effect of priming or dilution of individual molecules.Kattner, G., Simon, M., and Koch, B. P. (2011). "Molecular characterization of dissolved organic matter and constraints for prokaryotic utilization", in Microbial Carbon Pump in the Ocean, eds N. Jiao, F. Azam, and S. Sansers (Washington, DC: Science/AAAS). For example, lignin can be degraded in aerobic soils but is relatively recalcitrant in anoxic marine sediments. This example shows bioavailability varies as a function of the ecosystem's properties. Accordingly, even normally ancient and recalcitrant compounds, such as petroleum, carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules, can be degraded in the appropriate environmental setting.
Terrestrial ecosystems
Soil
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is one of the most active and mobile carbon pools and has an important role in global carbon cycling.Kalbitz, K.; Solinger, S.; Park, J.H.; Michalzik, B.; Matzner, E. 2000. Controls on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter in soils: a review. Soil Science 165: 277–304. In addition, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) affects the soil negative electrical charges denitrification process, acid-base reactions in the soil solution, retention and translocation of nutrients (cations), and immobilization of heavy metals and xenobiotics.Zech, W.; Senesi, N.; Guggenberger, G.; Kaiser, K.; Lehmann, J.; Miano, T.M.; Miltner, A.; Schroth, G. 1997. Factors controlling humification and mineralization of soil organic matter in the tropics. Geoderma 79: 117–161. Soil DOM can be derived from different sources (inputs), such as atmospheric carbon dissolved in rainfall, litter and crop residues, manure, root exudates, and decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). In the soil, DOM availability depends on its interactions with mineral components (e.g., clays, Fe and Al oxides) modulated by adsorption and desorption processes.Saidy, A.R.; Smernik, R.J.; Baldock, J.A.; Kaiser, K.; Sanderman, J. 2015. Microbial degradation of organic carbon sorbed to phyllosilicate clays with and without hydrous iron oxide coating. European Journal of Soil Science 66: 83–94. It also depends on SOM fractions (e.g., stabilized organic molecules and microbial biomass) by mineralization and immobilization processes. In addition, the intensity of these interactions changes according to soil inherent properties,Kaiser, K.; Guggenberger, G. 2007. Sorptive stabilization of organic matter by microporous goethite: sorption into small pores vs. surface complexation. European Journal of Soil Science 58: 45–59. land use, and crop management.
During the decomposition of organic material, most carbon is lost as CO2 to the atmosphere by microbial oxidation. Soil type and landscape slope, leaching, and runoff are also important processes associated to DOM losses in the soil.Veum, K.S.; Goyne, K.W.; Motavalli, P.P.; Udawatta, R.P. 2009. Runoff and dissolved organic carbon loss from a paired-watershed study of three adjacent agricultural Watersheds. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 130: 115–122. In well-drained soils, leached DOC can reach the water table and release nutrients and pollutants that can contaminate groundwater,Sparling, G.; Chibnall, E.; Pronger, J.; Rutledge, S.; Wall, A.; Campbell, D.; Schipper, L. 2016. Estimates of annual leaching losses of dissolved organic carbon from pastures on Allophanic soils grazed by dairy cattle, Waikato, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 59: 32–49. whereas runoff transports DOM and xenobiotics to other areas, rivers, and lakes.
Groundwater Precipitation and surface water leaches dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from vegetation and plant litter and percolates through the soil column to the saturated zone. The concentration, composition, and bioavailability of DOC are altered during transport through the soil column by various physicochemical and biological processes, including sorption, desorption, biodegradation and biosynthesis. Hydrophobic molecules are preferentially partitioned onto soil minerals and have a longer retention time in soils than hydrophilic molecules. The hydrophobicity and retention time of colloids and dissolved molecules in soils are controlled by their size, polarity, charge, and bioavailability. Bioavailable DOM is subjected to microbial decomposition, resulting in a reduction in size and molecular weight. Novel molecules are synthesized by soil microbes, and some of these metabolites enter the DOC reservoir in groundwater.. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Freshwater ecosystems Aquatic carbon occurs in different forms. Firstly, a division is made between organic and inorganic carbon. Organic carbon is a mixture of organic compounds originating from detritus or primary producers. It can be divided into POC (particulate organic carbon; particles > 0.45 μm) and DOC (dissolved organic carbon; particles < 0.45 μm). DOC usually makes up 90% of the total amount of aquatic organic carbon. Its concentration ranges from 0.1 to >300 mg L−1.