Biochemical Indicators for the Bioavailability of Organic Carbon in Ground Water

The bioavailability of total organic carbon (TOC) was examined in ground water from two hydrologically distinct aquifers using biochemical indicators widely employed in chemical oceanography. Concentrations of total hydrolyzable neutral sugars (THNS), total hydrolyzable amino acids (THAA), and carbon-normalized percentages of TOC present as THNS and THAA (referred to as “yields”) were assessed as indicators of bioavailability. A shallow coastal plain aquifer in Kings Bay, Georgia, was characterized by relatively high concentrations (425 to 1492 μM; 5.1 to 17.9 mg/L) of TOC but relatively low THNS and THAA yields (∼0.2%–1.0%). These low yields are consistent with the highly biodegraded nature of TOC mobilized from relatively ancient [...]