Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2002
Authors
Nicholas ClarkeAbstract
In natural waters, total organic carbon (TOC) is the sum of particulate and dissolved organic carbon. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is operationally defined, usually as organic carbon that passes through a 0.45 µm filter. Cellulose acetate or nitrate filters should not be used for this purpose due to contamination or adsorption problems. Glass fibre filters are preferable. Although the discussion below concerns DOC, much of it applies to TOC as well. Organic carbon is most often determined after oxidation to CO2 using combustion, an oxidant such as persulphate, UV or other high-energy radiation, or a combination of some of these. If only UV radiation with oxygen as oxidant is used, low DOC values may be obtained in the presence of humic substances. A variety of methods are used for detection, including infrared spectrometry, titration and flame ionization detection after reduction to methane. Always follow the instrument manufacturer’s instructions. For determination of dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon must be either removed by purging the acidified (for example with phosphoric acid) sample with a gas which is free from CO2 and organic compounds, or determined and subtracted from the total dissolved carbon. If acidification followed by purging is used, care should be taken as volatile organic compounds may also be lost. After acidification, remove CO2 by blowing a stream of pure carbon-free inert gas through the system for at least 5 minutes. Carbon is ubiquitous in nature, so reagents, water, and glassware cannot be completely cleaned of it. Method interferences (positive bias) may be caused by contaminants in the carrier gas, dilution water, reagents, glassware, or other sample processing hardware (for example a homogenization device). All of these materials must be routinely demonstrated to be free from interference under the conditions of analysis by running reagent blanks. Plastic bottles can bleed carbon into water samples, especially when they are new, or when they are used for low-level samples (less than 200 ppb C). Any new bottles (especially plastic) should ideally be filled with clean water for a period of several days or boiled in water for a few hours before use. The use of high purity or purified reagents and gases helps to minimise interference problems. It is very important to use ultra-pure water with a carbon filter or boiled distilled water just before preparing stock and standard solutions, in order to remove dissolved CO2. The stock solution should not be kept too long (about one week). For most DOC instruments a correction for DOC (due to dissolved CO2) in the dilution water used for calibration standards is necessary, especially for standards below 10 ppm C. The carbon in the blank should only be subtracted from standards and not from samples. For calibration, standard solutions are most often potassium hydrogen phthalate for total dissolved carbon and sodium bicarbonate for dissolved inorganic carbon. The DOC concentration should be within the working range of the calibration. If necessary the sample can be diluted. Sample DOC below about 50 ppb C can be affected by atmospheric exposure. In these cases, sampling bottles should be kept closed when possible, and autosampler vials should be equipped with septa for needle piercing by the autosampler.
Authors
Nicholas ClarkeAbstract
Within ICP Forests, the question has arisen whether it is necessary to determine DOC or TOC in deposition. There are several possible reasons for doing so, which can be summarised under two headings: quality control and process studies.
Abstract
The project reported here was a co-operation between the National Focal Centers for four of the ICPs in Norway: ICP Mapping and Modeling, ICP Waters, ICP Forest and ICP Integrated Monitoring. Dynamic modeling was carried out using data from several sites in the ICP networks, with the aim of making predictions on the future acidification status for surface waters, forest and soils in Norway. Predictions are made for three different deposition scenarios. At two of the sites, the model predictions suggest that the Current Legislation scenario will not promote water qualities sufficient for sustainable fish populations, while the scenario seems sufficient for the others. Under the Maximum Feasible Reduction scenario one of the sites still will not reach a sufficiently high ANC. In general, the modeling results for forest soils agree with results from previous investigations stating that surface water acidification is more severe than the soil acidification. However, the results suggest that there has been soil acidification at all sites as a result of acid deposition and that the base saturation will not be built up again to pre-industrial levels during the next 50 years at any of the sites, not even with the Maximum Feasible Reduction Scenario.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
The Norwegian intensive monitoring programme of forest condition has recorded rainfall, throughfall and soil water data from 1986 at 16 forest plots. Using covariance analysis, this study has examined short term and episodic influences on soil water ionic concentration at three of the plots, and identified both seasonal and long-term temporal trends. Acidity has decreased in bulk precipitation and throughfall, and the concentrations of base cations in the organic soil horizon have increased. Nevertheless, there is evidence of continued acidification in the organic and mineral soil horizons, though of a small scale. The influence of sea salt and drought effects on soil water chemistry are examined, but found to be unimportant in causing acidification effects such as increased soil aluminium concentration.
2001
Authors
Edward Tipping B. Michalzik Jan Mulder J.F. Gallardo Lancho E. Matzner Charlotte Bryant Nicholas Clarke S. Lofts A. Vicente EstebanAbstract
DyDOC identifies three soil horizons with different properties. Within each horizon the transport of wter, metabolic transformations of organic matter, and sorption of potential DOC are simulated. The model is parameterised by fitting experimental laboratory and field data, including 14C signals. The outputs are quasi-steady state C pools, varying on long timescales (centuries) and daily DOC concentrations and fluxes.
Abstract
Materials and Methods: In the field, fresh samples were obtained from different sources. Lake samples were collected from Lake Årungen, which is located in Ås. Stream samples were collected from Ås and Birkenes in southern Norway. All the samples were filtered in the field through 0.45 um membrane filters using syringes. Then the samples were fractionated through Bond Elut SCX cartridges connected to a portable vacuum pump, based on the method of Wickstrøm et al. (2000). A portion of the sample was passed immediately through the cation exchange cartridge. After the fieldwork another portion of the sample was taken to the laboratory where the same fractionation procedure was applied. These two fractions were then analysed for non-labile aluminium. A portion of the unfractionated sample was also analysed for total dissolved aluminium. An additional laboratory fractionation with a time lag was also applied to observe storage effects. Subsequent determination of total elements was done using ICP-AES. Transport, pretreatment and storage can also have an effect on the pH and organic matter concentration of the samples and, through this, on the equilibrium between different Al fractions. To evaluate pH differences prior to analysis, pH values were also measured in the field and in the laboratory. DOC was also determined. Differences between fractionation in the field and fractionation in the laboratory: In this study, non-labile fractions of Al were compared instead of the labile fractions of Al (which can be removed from solution on passage through cation exchange column) that are believed to have the greatest toxic effect on organisms.
Abstract
Understanding sulfate transport and retention dynamics in forest soils is a prerequisite in predicting SO4 concentration in the soil solution and in lake and stream waters. In this study forest soil samples from the Grdsjn catchment, Sweden, were used to study SO4 transport in soil columns from the upper three soil horizons (E, Bs and BC).The columns were leached using a sequential leaching technique. The input solutions were CaSO4 equilibrated with forest floor material. Leaching behavior of SO4 and concentration in the effluent were measured from columns from individual horizons.SO4 was always retained in the Bs and BC horizons, while the pattern for the E horizon varied. Attempts were also made to model SO4 breakthrough results based on miscible displacement approaches and solute convection-dispersion equation (CDE) in porous media. Several retention mechanisms were incorporated into the CDE in order to account for possible reversible and irreversible SO4 reactions in individual soil layers.The model was not successful in describing the mobility of SO4 in the top (E) horizon. Moreover, a linear equilibrium approach was generally inadequate for describing sulfate mobility in the Bs and BC horizons whereas improved model descriptions were obtained when non-linear equilibrium and kinetic approaches were utilized.We conclude that sulfate retention during transport in this forest soil is most likely controlled by kinetic reactivity of SO4 by reversible and irreversible mechanisms.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered