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.
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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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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Scientists analyzing pulverized rock onboard NASA's Curiosity rover have found the largest organic compounds on the red planet to date. The finding, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ...
Astrobiology
Mar 24, 2025
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A new study has revealed significant insights into the intermolecular mechanisms involved in the dissolution of organic electrode materials (OEMs) within electrolytes during battery cycling tests.
Nanomaterials
Mar 12, 2025
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It is well known that more and more plastic waste is ending up in soil and bodies of water. Researchers are particularly concerned about tiny micro- and nano-sized particles. It remains unclear how and to what extent they ...
Nanomaterials
Aug 29, 2024
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With the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, environmental problems became increasingly serious. Dye wastewater is considered to be one of the biggest challenges due to its high toxicity. Organic dyes ...
Nanomaterials
May 16, 2023
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