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Effects of gamma irradiation on an aquatic fulvic acid

  • Session 2: Biological And Chemical Transformation And Degradation
  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Humic Substances in the Aquatic and Terrestrial Environment

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences ((LNEARTH,volume 33))

  • 129 Accesses

Abstract

An aquatic fulvic acid was irradiated with gamma radiation from a 60Co-source (dose range 0–48 Mrad), as part of a larger study of the transformation and decomposition of humic substances in natural aquatic systems. Experiments were performed at two concentrations (1000 mg/l and 100 mg/l) and at various pH-values (2–10). The fulvic acid transformation was studied by monitoring optical density (UV-spectroscopy), molecular weight distribution (GPC-technique) and total dissolved organic carbon (TOC). A general decrease in TOC with increasing radiation dose was observed: the initial G-value of about 5 decreased with the increasing dose to a minimum value of 0.2–0.3. A simultaneous increase in molecular weight (Mn rose from approximately 2000 to a maximum of about 4000) was observed in the acidic samples (pH 2–4) at a dose below 10 Mrad. Natural background radiation can significantly contribute to the degradation of dissolved humic substances in deep groundwaters, considering the observed G-value for low doses (about 5) and the otherwise high chemical stability of the fulvic acid fraction even after long residence times (103–104 y) in the ground.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Water and Environmental Studies, Linköping University, S-581 83, Linköping, Sweden

    Irina Arsenie, Hans Borén & Bert Allard

Authors
  1. Irina Arsenie
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  2. Hans Borén
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  3. Bert Allard
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Editor information

Bert Allard Hans Borén Anders Grimvall

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© 1991 Springer-Verlag

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Arsenie, I., Borén, H., Allard, B. (1991). Effects of gamma irradiation on an aquatic fulvic acid. In: Allard, B., Borén, H., Grimvall, A. (eds) Humic Substances in the Aquatic and Terrestrial Environment. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, vol 33. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0010475

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0010475

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-53702-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-46985-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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