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.
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Research Article|
May 01 2011
Identification of humic acid-like and fulvic acid-like natural organic matter in river water using fluorescence spectroscopy
R. H. Peiris;
R. H. Peiris
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
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H. Budman;
H. Budman
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
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C. Moresoli;
C. Moresoli
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
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R. L. Legge
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
E-mail: [email protected]
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Water Sci Technol (2011) 63 (10): 2427–2433.
Citation
R. H. Peiris, H. Budman, C. Moresoli, R. L. Legge; Identification of humic acid-like and fulvic acid-like natural organic matter in river water using fluorescence spectroscopy. Water Sci Technol 1 May 2011; 63 (10): 2427–2433. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2011.439
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