Dissolved organic compounds (DOC) are a heterogeneous mixture of organic molecules operationally defined as passing through a 0.2–0.7 µm filter in aquatic or soil solutions, encompassing low-molecular-weight metabolites (e.g., amino acids, sugars, organic acids) and high-molecular-weight macromolecules (e.g., humic substances, polysaccharides, proteins). They play central roles in biogeochemical cycles as substrates for microbial metabolism, precursors for disinfection by-products, and regulators of metal speciation, light attenuation, and redox processes. In research, DOC is quantified typically as dissolved organic carbon and characterized by spectroscopic, chromatographic, and high-resolution mass spectrometric methods to resolve sources, reactivity, and transformation pathways.
A study conducted at the Institute of Science and Technology of São Paulo State University (ICT-UNESP) in São José dos Campos, Brazil, shows that Moringa oleifera, also known as moringa or white acacia, has the potential ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 16, 2026
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A new study, led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Columbia University, identifies a diverse set of molecules released by marine phytoplankton that fuel microbial life and help drive Earth's carbon cycle. ...
Environment
Mar 18, 2026
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A global analysis of more than 2,300 seawater samples from more than 20 field studies around the globe indicates that human-made chemicals make up a significant portion of organic matter in coastal oceans. The international ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 16, 2026
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In the ocean, a haze made from tiny bits of dead plants, animals, and microbes hangs in the upper reaches of the water. Each particle is just a fraction of a micrometer across, but together the carbon within these particles ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 3, 2026
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Freshwater browning is stunting fish growth of some species, shrinking populations of others and changing the composition of fish communities, McGill-led research suggests. "Browning" refers to freshwater bodies turning tea-colored, ...
Ecology
Jan 19, 2026
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A research team led by Prof. Wang Jianjun from the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has produced a global map depicting the distribution and variation of dissolved organic matter ...
Environment
Nov 13, 2025
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Climate change and the associated rising temperatures are melting more and more frozen ground in the Arctic. This dissolved matter contains large amounts of organic carbon which is flowing into the central Arctic Ocean.
Earth Sciences
Nov 12, 2025
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Through photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into energy-rich carbon compounds such as glucose. These compounds not only sustain the plant's own growth and development but are also channeled ...
Ecology
Sep 9, 2025
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60
Researchers from the University of Bristol and the Central Laser Facility (CLF) at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have discovered why a toxic compound found in wildfire smoke resists natural breakdown ...
Environment
Aug 7, 2025
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What is the role of dissolved organic matter in the deep sea? In a study relating to this question, researchers from the Universities of Bremen and Oldenburg have investigated the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 10, 2025
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