Pyrogenic organic matter, or black carbon (BC), is derived from the incomplete combustion\u00a0of biomass and fossil fuels, and is now recognized for its potential impact on soil chemistry,\u00a0transport of pollutants, climate and global carbon cycling. Further, its impacts will likely\u00a0grow due to increased climate change-related wildfires and intentional addition of BC (as\u00a0biochar) to soils to enhance soil fertility and C sequestration. However, while knowledge\u00a0of the properties of natural and anthropogenic particulate BC has increased in recent years,\u00a0there has been relatively little study of the properties and cycling of pyrogenic dissolved\u00a0organic matter (py-DOM). Although its release into the environment may have unrecognized C\u00a0cycling and environmental impacts, py-DOM has been quantified in only a few systems using\u00a0methods that have not been comprehensively evaluated.\u00a0It is necessary to establish a strong foundation for progress in the field of BC research\u00a0by examining the fundamental chemical properties and mechanisms associated with py-DOM production\u00a0and fate and the chemical markers used to quantify it. To accomplish this, the proposed project\u00a0will: 1) produce py-DOM from a logical series of BC solids, both freshly produced and \u2019aged\u2019\u00a0via microbial and photic treatments, 2) chemically characterize these BC parent solids and\u00a0their aqueous dissolved products using FTIR, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass\u00a0spectrometry (FTICR-MS) and 1- and 2-dimensional NMR, 3) examine py-DOM loss and transformation\u00a0after mineral sorption and microbial and photodegradation treatments, and 4) quantify the\u00a0yields of putative pyrogenic molecular markers; levoglucosan, benzenepolycarboxylic acids\u00a0(BPCA) and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (O-PAH), from fresh and \u2019aged\u2019 BC solids\u00a0and leachates. Using the same methods and experiments, the leachates and leachate alteration\u00a0products of potentially interfering non-pyrogenic terrestrial organic materials, some of which\u00a0we have recently shown to contain \u2019BC-like\u2019 compounds will also be examined.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pyrogenic organic matter, or black carbon (BC), is derived from the incomplete combustion\u00a0of biomass and fossil fuels, and is now recognized for its potential impact on soil chemistry,\u00a0transport of pollutants, climate and global carbon cycling. Further, its impacts will likely\u00a0grow due to increased climate change-related wildfires and intentional addition of BC (as\u00a0biochar) to soils to… <\/p>\n