U.S.-Germany Cooperative Research: An Integrated Analytical Approach for the Structural Characterization and Proton Binding of Size-Fractionated Natural Organic Matter

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

0129516 Perdue This award supports Michael Perdue and students from Georgia Tech in a collaboration with Antonius Kettrup of the Department of Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. The aim of the international project is to describe the distribution of molecular weight and the pH-dependent distribution of charge in natural organic matter, which is a highly complex acidic mixture that occurs everywhere in natural waters. This project will focus on a sample of natural organic matter from the Suwannee River, Georgia, USA, which is available from the International Humic Substance Society, and will integrate experimental results from capillary electrophoresis and potentiometric titration to elucidate the actual distribution of charge in the matter. The proposed research has a high potential to advance our ability to deal with important contemporary problems such as environmental toxicology of metals and organic chemicals an dthe influences of watershed properties on aquatic systems. The work plan provides for extensive participation by graduate students in the international travel and research.