Assessing Redox Properties of Natural Organic Matters with regard to Electron Exchange Capacity and Redox-Active Functional Groups

Redox processes in groundwater play an important role in bioavailability, toxicity, and mobility of redox-active elements and contaminants. A recent study has demonstrated that low-molecular-weight fraction (LMWF) of humic substances with great number of redox-active functional groups (RAFGs) exhibi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhiyuan Xu, Zhen Yang, Hongping Wang, Jie Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Journal of Chemistry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/2698213
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832551009994407936
author Zhiyuan Xu
Zhen Yang
Hongping Wang
Jie Jiang
author_facet Zhiyuan Xu
Zhen Yang
Hongping Wang
Jie Jiang
author_sort Zhiyuan Xu
collection DOAJ
description Redox processes in groundwater play an important role in bioavailability, toxicity, and mobility of redox-active elements and contaminants. A recent study has demonstrated that low-molecular-weight fraction (LMWF) of humic substances with great number of redox-active functional groups (RAFGs) exhibits great reducing capacity. However, whether LMWF of natural organic matter (NOM) exhibits high redox capacity still remains unclear. Therefore, this study extracted Pahokee peat NOM (PPNOM) and Leonardite NOM (LNOM) from soils, and then LMWFs in these NOMs were collected using a dialysis method. Electron exchange capacities (EEC) and RAFGs of LMWF NOMs at different Eh were analyzed using a novel electrochemical method and a three-dimensional excitation emission fluorescence (3DEEM) spectroscopy. We found that the reducing capacity in LMWF PPNOM was approximately 5-6 times higher than the bulk NOM, while only 7.8% LMWF PPNOM was accounted for in the bulk NOM. An increasing in EEC (EAC + EDC, where EAC is the electron accepting capacity and EDC is the electron donating capacity) of LMWF PPNOM and LNOM with Eh reduced from −0.49 V to −0.69 V. Additionally, an obvious increase in fluorescent intensities of quinone-like fluorophores before and after being reduced LMWF LNOM is responsible for high EAC of LMWF LNOM. These findings provide a better understanding of relationship between RAFGs Eh in LMWF of NOM, further helping in predicting and protection of groundwater environment and fate of transformation and transport for redox-active contaminants in groundwater.
format Article
id doaj-art-d716f103315c4b4e9888d2a4b8bf7609
institution Kabale University
issn 2090-9063
2090-9071
language English
publishDate 2020-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Journal of Chemistry
spelling doaj-art-d716f103315c4b4e9888d2a4b8bf76092025-02-03T06:05:14ZengWileyJournal of Chemistry2090-90632090-90712020-01-01202010.1155/2020/26982132698213Assessing Redox Properties of Natural Organic Matters with regard to Electron Exchange Capacity and Redox-Active Functional GroupsZhiyuan Xu0Zhen Yang1Hongping Wang2Jie Jiang3Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaGeomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geoscience, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076, GermanyBeijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaRedox processes in groundwater play an important role in bioavailability, toxicity, and mobility of redox-active elements and contaminants. A recent study has demonstrated that low-molecular-weight fraction (LMWF) of humic substances with great number of redox-active functional groups (RAFGs) exhibits great reducing capacity. However, whether LMWF of natural organic matter (NOM) exhibits high redox capacity still remains unclear. Therefore, this study extracted Pahokee peat NOM (PPNOM) and Leonardite NOM (LNOM) from soils, and then LMWFs in these NOMs were collected using a dialysis method. Electron exchange capacities (EEC) and RAFGs of LMWF NOMs at different Eh were analyzed using a novel electrochemical method and a three-dimensional excitation emission fluorescence (3DEEM) spectroscopy. We found that the reducing capacity in LMWF PPNOM was approximately 5-6 times higher than the bulk NOM, while only 7.8% LMWF PPNOM was accounted for in the bulk NOM. An increasing in EEC (EAC + EDC, where EAC is the electron accepting capacity and EDC is the electron donating capacity) of LMWF PPNOM and LNOM with Eh reduced from −0.49 V to −0.69 V. Additionally, an obvious increase in fluorescent intensities of quinone-like fluorophores before and after being reduced LMWF LNOM is responsible for high EAC of LMWF LNOM. These findings provide a better understanding of relationship between RAFGs Eh in LMWF of NOM, further helping in predicting and protection of groundwater environment and fate of transformation and transport for redox-active contaminants in groundwater.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/2698213
spellingShingle Zhiyuan Xu
Zhen Yang
Hongping Wang
Jie Jiang
Assessing Redox Properties of Natural Organic Matters with regard to Electron Exchange Capacity and Redox-Active Functional Groups
Journal of Chemistry
title Assessing Redox Properties of Natural Organic Matters with regard to Electron Exchange Capacity and Redox-Active Functional Groups
title_full Assessing Redox Properties of Natural Organic Matters with regard to Electron Exchange Capacity and Redox-Active Functional Groups
title_fullStr Assessing Redox Properties of Natural Organic Matters with regard to Electron Exchange Capacity and Redox-Active Functional Groups
title_full_unstemmed Assessing Redox Properties of Natural Organic Matters with regard to Electron Exchange Capacity and Redox-Active Functional Groups
title_short Assessing Redox Properties of Natural Organic Matters with regard to Electron Exchange Capacity and Redox-Active Functional Groups
title_sort assessing redox properties of natural organic matters with regard to electron exchange capacity and redox active functional groups
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/2698213
work_keys_str_mv AT zhiyuanxu assessingredoxpropertiesofnaturalorganicmatterswithregardtoelectronexchangecapacityandredoxactivefunctionalgroups
AT zhenyang assessingredoxpropertiesofnaturalorganicmatterswithregardtoelectronexchangecapacityandredoxactivefunctionalgroups
AT hongpingwang assessingredoxpropertiesofnaturalorganicmatterswithregardtoelectronexchangecapacityandredoxactivefunctionalgroups
AT jiejiang assessingredoxpropertiesofnaturalorganicmatterswithregardtoelectronexchangecapacityandredoxactivefunctionalgroups