Effect of a Flood in the Amur River on Organic Matter Dynamics in Groundwater

Abstract

The space and time dynamics of organic matter concentration in groundwater in the Tungusskoe deposit during the historical 2013 flood in the Amur River is discussed. For comparison analysis, several methods for determining the quantitative characteristics of organic matter (spectrophotometry, gas-chromatographic mass spectrometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography) were applied to different layers of an aquifer at different distances from the shore line. The genesis of many organic substances is due to the inflow of river filtrate and surface water from the inundated floodplain. In the post-flood 2014, groundwater showed a decrease in the total amount of organic components and the presence of low-molecular hydrocarbons, diphenylamine, cosanes, phenanthrene, naphthalene, and derivatives of stearic and palmitic acids. Toxic methyl benzene was identified in most wells.