Abstract
This project
involved two separate studies. The
goal of the first project was to determine if volatile organic carbon (VOC’S)
are present rainwater. Current analytical methods would remove this component
and they would not be represented in total dissolved organic carbon
(DOC). In larger depth storms little to no VOC was present. This
could result from rain sitting out for too long allowing for degassing, or
simply by dilution. In a small volume storm VOCs
were found in larger amounts 45 + 19 mM.
VOCs averaged 0-16% of total DOC meaning that this
component may be underrepresented in previous studies. The purpose of the
second project was to determine the bioavailability of recently discovered DOC
from sandy beach sediments. The concentration of bioavailable
DOC in pre-extracted seawater collected at the same time as the sandy beach
sediment was of 57 + 67 mM.
Bioavailable DOC represented an average of 28 +
23% of the total DOC. Bioavailable DOC in
post-extraction seawater samples (samples exposed to beach sand) was 240 +
370 mM. Bioavailable
DOC represented 23 + 25% of the total similar to pre-extracted
seawater. The flux of bioavailable DOC from
sandy beach sediment was 2.5 x 10-4 moles meter-2 hour-1.
The Annual flux of bioavailable DOC from the sandy
beach sediments to