Universität zu Köln

Zerfass, Christian ORCID: 0000-0001-8960-1926, Lehmann, Robert, Ueberschaar, Nico ORCID: 0000-0002-4192-490X, Sanchez-Arcos, Carlos ORCID: 0000-0001-7576-8063, Totsche, Kai Uwe ORCID: 0000-0002-2692-213X and Pohnert, Georg (2022). Groundwater metabolome responds to recharge in fractured sedimentary strata. Water Res., 223. OXFORD: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. ISSN 1879-2448

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Abstract

Understanding the sources, structure and fate of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in groundwater is paramount for the protection and sustainable use of this vital resource. On its passage through the Critical Zone, DOM is subject to biogeochemical conversions. Therefore, it carries valuable cross-habitat information for monitoring and predicting the stability of groundwater ecosystem services and assessing these ecosystems' response to fluctuations caused by external impacts such as climatic extremes. Challenges arise from insufficient knowledge on groundwater metabolite composition and dynamics due to a lack of consistent analytical approaches for long-term monitoring. Our study establishes groundwater metabolomics to decipher the complex biogeochemical transport and conversion of DOM. We explore fractured sedimentary bedrock along a hillslope recharge area by a 5-year untargeted metabolomics monitoring of oxic perched and anoxic phreatic groundwater. A summer with extremely high temperatures and low precipitation was included in the monitoring. Water was accessed by a monitoring well-transect and regularly collected for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) investigation. Dimension reduction of the resulting complex data set by principal component analysis revealed that metabolome dissimilarities between distant wells coincide with transient cross-stratal flow indicated by groundwater levels. Time series of the groundwater metabolome data provides detailed insights into subsurface responses to recharge dynamics. We demonstrate that dissimilarity variability between groundwater bodies with contrasting aquifer properties coincides with recharge dynamics. This includes groundwater high- and lowstands as well as recharge and recession phases. Our monitoring approach allows to survey groundwater ecosystems even under extreme conditions. Notably, the metabolome was highly variable lacking seasonal patterns and did not segregate by geographical location of sampling wells, thus ruling out vegetation or (agricultural) land use as a primary driving factor. Patterns that emerge from metabolomics monitoring give insight into subsurface ecosystem functioning and water quality evolution, essential for sustainable groundwater use and climate change-adapted management.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Zerfass, Christian UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-8960-1926 UNSPECIFIED Lehmann, Robert UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Ueberschaar, Nico UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-4192-490X UNSPECIFIED Sanchez-Arcos, Carlos UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-7576-8063 UNSPECIFIED Totsche, Kai Uwe UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-2692-213X UNSPECIFIED Pohnert, Georg UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-667096
DOI:	10.1016/j.watres.2022.118998
Journal or Publication Title:	Water Res.
Volume:	223
Date:	2022
Publisher:	PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Place of Publication:	OXFORD
ISSN:	1879-2448
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language DISSOLVED ORGANIC-MATTER; MASS-SPECTROMETRY; FLOW PATHS; LAND-USE; AQUIFERS; SOIL; PERSISTENCE; MODELS; CYCLE Multiple languages Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences; Water Resources Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/66709