About this Research Topic
Natural organic matter (NOM) contains a complex matrix of organic materials resulting from decomposition of animal and plant remains, and microorganisms such as bacteria and algae. Depending upon the chemical functional groups that NOM possesses, its reactivity with other inorganic compounds in environmental matrices vary. For instance, functional groups that enable metal adsorption or complexation affect their speciation and toxicity in the environment. It has been observed that the NOM interacts with inorganic chemicals including metals and metalloids, and their aqueous ionic (or oxoanionic) forms (e.g., iron, arsenic, chromium), nutrients (e.g., phosphates), minerals (e.g., aluminum and iron oxides), halogens (e.g., chlorine, bromine), as well as microorganisms via metabolic pathways (e.g., as an electron donor) or biochemical reactions (e.g., electron shuttling). Because the origin of NOM is extremely variable depending upon the environment in which it forms, so does its structural and functional characteristics and its reactivity.
Different environmental settings such as soils, surface waters, groundwaters, oceans, aquifer sediments, forested ecosystems, marshy lands, agricultural systems, contaminated sites (e.g., acid mine drainage, petroleum releases, landfill leachate), engineered systems (e.g., water and wastewater treatment plants, solid waste leachate etc.), extreme environments (e.g., polar regions, caves, deserts etc.) may produce significantly different types of NOM. The complex formation of NOM and its interactions with inorganic chemicals are important in geochemical cycling of elements of human health concern. The goal of this special issue is to invite contributions related to field measurements, laboratory experiment and chemical modeling studies that explore the characteristics and reactivity of NOM from a variety of natural, contaminated, engineered and extreme environments. Studies that investigate the role of NOM in mobilizing contaminants of human health concern are also relevant. These studies may include, but are not limited to, characterization of NOM using novel methods, measuring metal-NOM complexes, and kinetics of reactions involving NOM. This special issue will showcase the present state of knowledge regarding the characteristics, reactivity and roles of NOM in the environment. The scholarly contributions to this Research Topic will advance our knowledge of how NOM affects geochemical cycling of elements of human health concern.
This Research Topic invites scholarly contributions investigating characteristics, reactivity and role of natural organic matter (NOM) in elemental cycling in the environment. The field, laboratory and modeling-based studies that explore the characteristics and reactivity of NOM from a variety of natural, contaminated, engineered and extreme environments are welcome. Studies that investigate the role of NOM in mobilizing contaminants of human health concern are also encouraged. These studies may include, but are not limited to, characterization of NOM using novel methods, detection of metal-NOM complexes, and kinetics of reactions involving NOM. This issue will be divided into four sections:
1. Studies involving characterization of natural organic matter using novel techniques (e.g., absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, gas and liquid chromatography, isotope ratio mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and others)
2. Controlled experiments to determine reactivity and transformations of natural organic matter under environmentally relevant conditions (e.g., experiments under reducing conditions, complexation between inorganic ions and dissolved organic matter, complexation between minerals and organic matter, microbial interactions with organic matter, mineral-microbe-organic matter interactions, pH and temperature effects on organic matter transformations, and others)
3. Field investigations involving characterization of natural organic matter (e.g., extraction and isolation of natural organic matter from locations of broad scientific interests, in-situ measurements for quantification and characterization of natural organic matter, and others)
Different environmental settings such as soils, surface waters, groundwaters, oceans, aquifer sediments, forested ecosystems, marshy lands, agricultural systems, contaminated sites (e.g., acid mine drainage, petroleum releases, landfill leachate), engineered systems (e.g., water and wastewater treatment plants, solid waste leachate etc.), extreme environments (e.g., polar regions, caves, deserts etc.) may produce significantly different types of NOM. The complex formation of NOM and its interactions with inorganic chemicals are important in geochemical cycling of elements of human health concern. The goal of this special issue is to invite contributions related to field measurements, laboratory experiment and chemical modeling studies that explore the characteristics and reactivity of NOM from a variety of natural, contaminated, engineered and extreme environments. Studies that investigate the role of NOM in mobilizing contaminants of human health concern are also relevant. These studies may include, but are not limited to, characterization of NOM using novel methods, measuring metal-NOM complexes, and kinetics of reactions involving NOM. This special issue will showcase the present state of knowledge regarding the characteristics, reactivity and roles of NOM in the environment. The scholarly contributions to this Research Topic will advance our knowledge of how NOM affects geochemical cycling of elements of human health concern.
This Research Topic invites scholarly contributions investigating characteristics, reactivity and role of natural organic matter (NOM) in elemental cycling in the environment. The field, laboratory and modeling-based studies that explore the characteristics and reactivity of NOM from a variety of natural, contaminated, engineered and extreme environments are welcome. Studies that investigate the role of NOM in mobilizing contaminants of human health concern are also encouraged. These studies may include, but are not limited to, characterization of NOM using novel methods, detection of metal-NOM complexes, and kinetics of reactions involving NOM. This issue will be divided into four sections:
1. Studies involving characterization of natural organic matter using novel techniques (e.g., absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, gas and liquid chromatography, isotope ratio mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and others)
2. Controlled experiments to determine reactivity and transformations of natural organic matter under environmentally relevant conditions (e.g., experiments under reducing conditions, complexation between inorganic ions and dissolved organic matter, complexation between minerals and organic matter, microbial interactions with organic matter, mineral-microbe-organic matter interactions, pH and temperature effects on organic matter transformations, and others)
3. Field investigations involving characterization of natural organic matter (e.g., extraction and isolation of natural organic matter from locations of broad scientific interests, in-situ measurements for quantification and characterization of natural organic matter, and others)
Keywords: natural organic matter, organic geochemistry, biogeochemistry, hydrogeology, humic substances, geogenic contaminants, nutrients, anthropogenic contaminants, remediation
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