Effects of pH value and initial DOC concentration on ferrihydrite-mediated adsorption of algal-derived DOM under eutrophication background

ZHANG Lirong; LI Jingnan; ZHAO Pan; SONG Na; WANG Qunhui

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202605013

Volume 44 Issue 5

May 2026

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ZHANG Lirong, LI Jingnan, ZHAO Pan, SONG Na, WANG Qunhui. Effects of pH value and initial DOC concentration on ferrihydrite-mediated adsorption of algal-derived DOM under eutrophication background[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(5): 132-141. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202605013

Citation:

ZHANG Lirong, LI Jingnan, ZHAO Pan, SONG Na, WANG Qunhui. Effects of pH value and initial DOC concentration on ferrihydrite-mediated adsorption of algal-derived DOM under eutrophication background[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(5): 132-141. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202605013

Citation:

ZHANG Lirong, LI Jingnan, ZHAO Pan, SONG Na, WANG Qunhui. Effects of pH value and initial DOC concentration on ferrihydrite-mediated adsorption of algal-derived DOM under eutrophication background[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(5): 132-141. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202605013

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Effects of pH value and initial DOC concentration on ferrihydrite-mediated adsorption of algal-derived DOM under eutrophication background

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202605013

1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Tianjin College, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Tianjin 301830, China;
2. Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

Received Date: 2025-12-10
Available Online: 2026-06-06

Abstract

Abstract

Against the backdrop of intensifying global eutrophication， algal blooms trigger substantial releases and accumulation of algal-derived dissolved organic matter （ADOM）， significantly impacting aquatic carbon cycling and pollutant transport. Among these， the adsorption and sequestration of dissolved organic matter （DOM） by iron minerals，particularly ferrihydrite，constitutes a pivotal process regulating its environmental fate. However， the adsorption fractionation behaviors of ADOM under varying environmental conditions remains poorly understood. Consequently， this study systematically investigates the effects of pH （2.0 to 10.0） and initial dissolved organic carbon （DOC） concentration （2 to 100 mg C/L） on the adsorption amount and selectivity of ADOM onto ferrihydrite. The fractionation patterns were elucidated using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy （UV-Vis） and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy-parallel factor analysis （EEM-PARAFAC）. Results indicate that pH and DOC concentration not only regulated ADOM adsorption onto ferrihydrite but also significantly influenced its fractionation effect. Within the pH range of 2.0 to 7.0， adsorption capacity increased with rising pH， peaking at pH=7.0 （21.59 mg C/g）， declining at pH > 7.0 due to enhanced electrostatic repulsion. UV-Vis and EEM analysis revealed that within the pH range of 3.0 to 9.0， the selective fractionation of ferrihydrite towards highly aromatic， high-molecular-weight chromophoric DOM （CDOM） components and relatively highly humic， biogenic protein-like/aromatic amino acid fluorescent DOM （FDOM） progressively intensified with the increasing pH. Furthermore， with DOC concentration increasing， adsorption capacity exhibited non-linear growth， higher molecular weight components with low aromaticity and lower molecular weight， alongside FDOM of protein-like/aromatic amino acid with lower humification and stronger autotrophic characteristics， progressively intensified. This study demonstrates that in water bodies dominated by ADOM， such as eutrophic lakes， ferrihydrite can effectively sequester the active components of ADOM through pH-dependent and concentration-dependent selective adsorption， which may potentially have an impact on the composition and reactivity of DOM. This can provide fundamental data for a deeper understanding of the autochthonous carbon sequestration process mediated by iron minerals in eutrophic water bodies.
- algal-derived dissolved organic matter,
- ferrihydrite,
- adsorption fractionation,
- pH value,
- initial concentration,
- carbon cycle

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References(35)

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