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Title: Spatial Dependence of Reduced Sulfur in Everglades Dissolved Organic Matter Controlled by Sulfate Enrichment

Journal Article · · Environmental Science and Technology
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8]
  1. U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  3. Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States)
  4. Univ. of Georgia, Savannah, GA (United States)
  5. Univ. of Oldenburg (Germany)
  6. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA (United States)
  7. U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, WI (United States)
  8. U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO (United States)

Sulfate inputs to the Florida Everglades stimulate sulfidic conditions in freshwater wetland sediments that affect ecological and biogeochemical processes. An unexplored implication of sulfate enrichment is alteration of the content and speciation of sulfur in dissolved organic matter (DOM), which influences the reactivity of DOM with trace metals. Here, we describe the vertical and lateral spatial dependence of sulfur chemistry in the hydrophobic organic acid fraction of DOM from unimpacted and sulfate-impacted Everglades wetlands using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry. Spatial variation in DOM sulfur content and speciation reflects the degree of sulfate enrichment and resulting sulfide concentrations in sediment pore waters. Sulfur is incorporated into DOM predominantly as highly reduced species in sulfidic pore waters. Sulfur-enriched DOM in sediment pore waters exchanges with overlying surface waters and the sulfur likely undergoes oxidative transformations in the water column. Across all wetland sites and depths, the total sulfur content of DOM correlated with the relative abundance of highly reduced sulfur functionality. Here, the results identify sulfate input as a primary determinant on DOM sulfur chemistry to be considered in the context of wetland restoration and sulfur and trace metal cycling.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; EAR-1629698; EAR-1628956
OSTI ID:
1351336
Journal Information:
Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 51, Issue 7; ISSN 0013-936X
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 68 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Challenges and opportunities for managing aquatic mercury pollution in altered landscapes journal January 2018
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