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Photochemical reactivity of dissolved organic carbon in subarctic lakes along a color gradient

Younes, Hani LU and Berggren, Martin LU (2024) In Inland Waters
Abstract
Lake–atmosphere carbon exchanges can be significantly affected by photochemical dissolved organic matter (DOM) mineralization. However, our understanding of how increasing allochthonous organic carbon input affects the photoreactivity of DOM per unit of absorbed incoming light is incomplete. Here, we measured the absorption of ultraviolet (UV) light and subsequent photochemical DOM decay in 148 lakes within the subarctic region of Abisko, Sweden. These lakes range from brown-water lakes with allochthonous input from mires to tundra clear-water lakes with relatively more autochthonous input. We used fluorescence excitation–emission matrix analysis to assess the DOM chemical composition to determine how increasing colored DOM (CDOM) affects... (More)
Lake–atmosphere carbon exchanges can be significantly affected by photochemical dissolved organic matter (DOM) mineralization. However, our understanding of how increasing allochthonous organic carbon input affects the photoreactivity of DOM per unit of absorbed incoming light is incomplete. Here, we measured the absorption of ultraviolet (UV) light and subsequent photochemical DOM decay in 148 lakes within the subarctic region of Abisko, Sweden. These lakes range from brown-water lakes with allochthonous input from mires to tundra clear-water lakes with relatively more autochthonous input. We used fluorescence excitation–emission matrix analysis to assess the DOM chemical composition to determine how increasing colored DOM (CDOM) affects photomineralization. We found that the photo decay rates in absolute values were positively correlated to CDOM. However, the photo decay per unit of absorbed light energy did not increase with increasing CDOM; rather, it showed a weak decreasing trend. Fluorescence analyses helped explain these patterns; humic-like fluorescent DOM, presumably of terrestrial origin, was associated with high absolute photo decay rates, but not generally with higher photoreactivity per unit of absorbed light energy than other types of DOM. The results suggest that even though increasing inputs of terrestrial substances lead to a higher abundance of photodegradable materials, CO2 emissions do not necessarily increase in lakes where browning limits the ability of light to penetrate deeper water. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Photo-reactivity, dissolved organic matter (DOM), brownification, Optical DOM characterization
in
Inland Waters
pages
9 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85197605127
ISSN
2044-2041
DOI
10.1080/20442041.2024.2331957
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
910fca05-e7a3-41e1-9749-bd7db68ec608
date added to LUP
2024-08-21 18:04:03
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:27:18
@article{910fca05-e7a3-41e1-9749-bd7db68ec608,
  abstract     = {{Lake–atmosphere carbon exchanges can be significantly affected by photochemical dissolved organic matter (DOM) mineralization. However, our understanding of how increasing allochthonous organic carbon input affects the photoreactivity of DOM per unit of absorbed incoming light is incomplete. Here, we measured the absorption of ultraviolet (UV) light and subsequent photochemical DOM decay in 148 lakes within the subarctic region of Abisko, Sweden. These lakes range from brown-water lakes with allochthonous input from mires to tundra clear-water lakes with relatively more autochthonous input. We used fluorescence excitation–emission matrix analysis to assess the DOM chemical composition to determine how increasing colored DOM (CDOM) affects photomineralization. We found that the photo decay rates in absolute values were positively correlated to CDOM. However, the photo decay per unit of absorbed light energy did not increase with increasing CDOM; rather, it showed a weak decreasing trend. Fluorescence analyses helped explain these patterns; humic-like fluorescent DOM, presumably of terrestrial origin, was associated with high absolute photo decay rates, but not generally with higher photoreactivity per unit of absorbed light energy than other types of DOM. The results suggest that even though increasing inputs of terrestrial substances lead to a higher abundance of photodegradable materials, CO2 emissions do not necessarily increase in lakes where browning limits the ability of light to penetrate deeper water.}},
  author       = {{Younes, Hani and Berggren, Martin}},
  issn         = {{2044-2041}},
  keywords     = {{Photo-reactivity; dissolved organic matter (DOM); brownification; Optical DOM characterization}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Inland Waters}},
  title        = {{Photochemical reactivity of dissolved organic carbon in subarctic lakes along a color gradient}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20442041.2024.2331957}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/20442041.2024.2331957}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}