Abstract
Fluorescence characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in effluent from biological wastewater treatment plants were investigated using a three dimensional fluorescence spectrometer. A fluorescence peak of DOM in the filtrate of effluent was observed at near EX345/EM430 in spectral fluorescent signature (SFS). There was a fluorescence peak at near EX330/EM450 in SFS of the solution of fulvic acids prepared by method of Malcolm et al.. On the other hand, there was a fluorescence peak at near EX335/EM425 in SFS of the effluent passed through a resin, DAX-8 column. The fluorescence substances were not the fluorescent whitening agents in the detergent. Namely, the fluorescence substances in effluent from wastewater treatment plants were consisted with hydrophobic one (fulvic acids) and hydrophilic one, and the later seemed to be different from the fulvic acids defined by Malcolm et al.. Moreover, it was considered that the hydrophilic substances have amphoionic characteristic and they are hydrophilic acids as well as hydrophilic bases. Special attention should be given to the existence of hydrophilic asids in case that amount of fulvic-like organic matter in water is estimated from fluorescence intensity at EX330-350/EM420-450.
