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Measuring Dissolved Organic Carbon: A Comparison of Lab and Field Results - SWPBA
Citation:
Moulton, M., S. Collins, AND J. Flotemersch. Measuring Dissolved Organic Carbon: A Comparison of Lab and Field Results - SWPBA. 2023 Southeastern Water Pollution Biologist Association Meeting, Folly Beach, SC, November 07 - 09, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this presentation is to review progress on the field testing of a portable meter for measuring Dissolved Organic Carbon in aquatic ecosystems.
Description:
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a basic water quality parameter of aquatic ecosystems. Unusually high DOC levels occur naturally in some aquatic habitats such as blackwater rivers, streams, and wetlands. However, DOC may also be high due to anthropogenic inputs. DOC is not typically measured in field studies because of logistics and resources required for laboratory determination. Using data collected at 43 sites across northern West Virginia, we compared DOC measures taken in the field using a portable Real Tech TOC/DOC meter with DOC measures derived in the laboratory using traditional methods. A Wilcoxon Signed Rank test on matched pairs (i.e., field vs. lab) found no significant differences between readings provided by the Real Tech field meter and lab-derived DOC concentration (S = -20.5, n = 42, P = 0.5975). This suggests that the Real Tech TOC/DOC field meter is a viable instrument for field measurement of DOC in aquatic ecosystems, though testing in other geographic settings is needed.
