Ultrafiltration: a technique for determining the molecular-mass distribution of group parameters of organic pollutants in natural waters

The heterogeneity of dissolved organic matter of natural waters and its different interactions cause particular analytical problems. As a result, a less specific parameter such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is often used to describe the sources and fate of organics in aquatic systems. The ion-paired organic-bounded sulfur (IOS) is a new parameter, and presently includes an important group of sulfur-containing components such as organic sulfonic acids. Natural waters have been characterised using ultrafiltration in combination with the determination of DOC and IOS concentrations. The determination of group parameters for different mass fractions (> 10 000, 10 000– 1000, < 1000 g/mol) is a sensitive approach to obtaining further insight into the fate of dissolved organics in aquatic systems.

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