Abstract: | Moderately concentrated, highly coloured natural water was fractionated on Sephadex G-100 columns with distilled water. The applied fractionation procedure produces elution profiles where colloidal and truly dissolved materials are clearly distinguished. The particulate fraction which cannot penetrate the dextran gel bed was calculated from the difference between the predicted and observed yield of gel filtration. The coloured material of polyhumic waters investigated was thus separated into particulate and colloidal (light scattering, iron containing), and truly dissolved (no light scattering, fluorescent) fractions with characteristic distribution patterns in creeks and lakes. The vertical distribution of particles, colloids, and dissolved material in the main lake basin indicated a heterogenous stratification of the three fractions.Department of Limnology, University of Helsinki |