[1] Understanding the sources and fate of organic matter (OM) sequestered in continental margin sediments is of importance because the mode and efficiency of OM burial impact the carbon cycle and the regulation of atmospheric CO 2 over long time scales. We carried out molecular (lignin-derived phenols from CuO oxidation), elemental, isotopic (δ 13 C, Δ 14 C), and sedimentological (grain size and mineral surface area) analyses in order to examine spatial variability in the abundance, source, age of surface sediments of the East China Sea. Higher terrigenous organic matter values were found in the main accumulating areas of fluvial sediments, including the Changjiang (Yangtze) Estuary and Zhejiang-Fujian coastal zone. Isotopic and biomarker data suggest that the sedimentary OM in the inner shelf region was dominated by aged (Δ 14 C = À423 ± 42‰) but relatively lignin-rich OM (Λ = 0.94 ± 0.57 mg/100 mg OC) associated with fine-grained sediments, suggesting important contributions from soils. In contrast, samples from the outer shelf, while of similar age (Δ 14 C = À450 ± 99‰), are lignin poor (Λ = 0.25 ± 0.14 mg/100 mg OC) and associated with coarse-grained material. Regional variation of lignin phenols and OM ages indicates that OM content is fundamentally controlled by hydrodynamic sorting (especially, sediment redistribution and winnowing) and in situ primary production. Selective sorption of acid to aldehyde in clay fraction also modified the ratios of lignin phenols. The burial of lignin in East China Sea is estimated to be relatively efficient, possibly as a consequence of terrigenous OM recalcitrance and/or relatively high sedimentation rates in the Changjiang Estuary and the adjacent Zhejing-Fujian mud belt.

Fluorescence excitation emission matrices-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) is a powerful tool for characterizing dissolved organic matter (DOM), and it is applied in a rapidly growing number of studies on drinking water and wastewater treatments. This paper presents an overview of recent findings about the occurrence and behavior of PARAFAC components in drinking water and wastewater treatments, as well as their feasibility for assessing the treatment performance and water quality including disinfection by-product formation potentials (DBPs FPs). A variety of humic-like, protein-like, and unique (e.g., pyrene-like) fluorescent components have been identified, providing valuable insights into the chemical composition of DOM and the effects of various treatment processes in engineered systems. Coagulation/flocculation-clarification preferentially removes humic-like components, and additional treatments such as biological activated carbon filtration, anion exchange, and UV irradiation can further remove DOM from drinking water. In contrast, biological treatments are more effective for protein-like components in wastewater treatments. PARAFAC components have been proven to be valuable as surrogates for conventional water quality parameter, to track the changes of organic matter quantity and quality in drinking water and wastewater treatments. They are also feasible for assessing formations of trihalomethanes and other DBPs and evaluating treatment system performance. Further studies of EEM-PARAFAC for assessing the effects of the raw water quality and variable treatment conditions on the removal of DOM, and the formation potentials of various emerging DBPs, are essential for optimizing the treatment processes to ensure treated water quality.

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The Changjiang Estuary is a large bifurcated estuary where different hydrodynamic processes influence its South Branch compared to its North Branch. The South Branch is the dominant pathway of Changjiang River discharge, while the shallower and narrower North Branch is dominated by salt water intrusion, especially in the dry season. Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy were measured along with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations to characterize the properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) collected in different seasons during an extreme drought year in 2011. The refractory DOM from the Changjiang River flowed mainly through the South Branch, whereas in the lower South Branch, the input from the polluted Huangpu River contributed a large amount of biolabile DOM, demonstrating an anthropogenic perturbation from megacities. The DOM properties in the North Branch showed conservative behavior in the wet season, while noticeable addition was observed in the dry season, accompanied by the reversed flux of DOM from the North Branch to the South Branch, emphasizing the regular seasonal oscillation of the DOM dynamics in this monsoon-controlled bifurcated estuary. The estuarine turbidity maximum zones played distinct roles on DOM dynamics in different estuarine environments. The DOC and chromophoric DOM (CDOM) abundance in the Changjiang River and other Chinese rivers were at lower levels compared to other world rivers, showing a characteristic of the regional CDOM-poor features for many East Asia rivers.

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