Constant current chronopotentiometric stripping characterisation of organic matter in seawater from the northern Adriatic, Croatia
Slađana Strmečki A B , Jelena Dautović A and Marta Plavšić A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Bijenička 54, PO Box 180, 10 002 Zagreb, Croatia.
B Corresponding author. Email: strmecki@irb.hr
Environmental Chemistry 11(2) 158-166 https://doi.org/10.1071/EN13122
Submitted: 3 July 2013 Accepted: 6 December 2013 Published: 25 March 2014
Environmental context. We determined seasonal changes in the organic matter content of the northern Adriatic with newly applied electrochemical techniques able to measure catalytically active organics. The inflow of the Po River and its nutrient load are responsible for the observed changes in the type and concentrations of organic matter in the area.
Abstract. Catalytically active polysaccharides (Cat PSs) and nitrogen-containing polymeric organic material (N-POM) were determined in seawater from the northern Adriatic station ST101. Catalytically active organics were measured by applying electrochemical methods of adsorptive transfer chronopotentiometric stripping with medium exchange and chronopotentiometric stripping in unmodified seawater. Their concentrations were expressed in milligrams per cubic decimetre of equivalents of the model calibrating substances, polysaccharide xanthan and protein human serum albumin. The optimal electroanalytical conditions for determination of Cat PSs in seawater were evaluated and defined. Seasonal changes of Cat PSs and N-POM were observed during the period 2011–2013. The highest values were determined in the spring–summer period and the lowest in winter. Cat PSs and N-POM were present in both the dissolved and particulate organic carbon fractions. Cat PSs and N-POM showed a statistically significant positive correlation with the concentrations of surface-active substances. A weak but statistically significant correlation was found between Cat PSs and dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Copper complexing capacities in the period 2011–2013 were in the range of 41–130 nmol dm–3.
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