Publications

Skip Navigation Links.
Recently Published
Collapse per documenttypeper documenttype
Expand per Unitper Unit
Expand per Clusterper Cluster

Search for publications:


Limit search to the fields

ECN publication
Title:
On the nature of organic matter from natural and contaminated materials - isolation methods, characterisation and application to geochemical modelling
 
Author(s):
 
Published by: Publication date:
ECN Biomass, Coal and Environmental Research 14-9-2010
 
ECN report number: Document type:
ECN-B--08-020 Book
 
Number of pages: Full text:
205 Download PDF  

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.


Back to List