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Title:
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On the nature of organic matter from natural and contaminated materials - isolation methods, characterisation and application to geochemical modelling
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Author(s):
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Published by:
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Publication date:
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ECN
Biomass, Coal and Environmental Research
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14-9-2010
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ECN report number:
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Document type:
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ECN-B--08-020
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Book
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Number of pages:
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Full text:
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205
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Download PDF
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Published in:.
Abstract:
Natural organic matter (NOM) is the material that is formed after the natural decomposition and transformation of dead plant and animal matter. The fresh organic matter (e.g. plant or animal debris) is decomposed by microbial activity. As such, NOM is found everywhere in the natural environment: in soils, surface water and oceans. Due to its abundance at the earth’s surface, the production and decomposition of NOM plays an important role in the global carbon cycling. In soil systems, NOM has an extremely important influence on essential properties like soil structure, water retention, nutrient availability and binding of contaminants (Hayes and Swift, 1990; Swift, 1996). In water systems (e.g. surface or river water), NOM is important in many (bio)-chemical processes and the geochemical cycling of elements/nutrients.
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