Abstract:
Organic matter (OM), such as natural organic matter (NOM) in surface waters, and effluent organic matter
(EfOM) in wastewaters causes many problems. For example, color, taste and odor derogate potable water quality, while
the presence of endocrine disrupting substances and the formation of disinfectant byproducts (DBPs) are public health
concerns. Over the years various analytical methods have been developed to characterize organic matter in natural and
wastewaters. However, it remains difficult to determine the properties and characteristics of various OM constituents.
Since all OM components in water have their own specific sizes, size distribution is a useful analytical tool to characterize
complex OM. The results also enable better interpretation of experimental results, determination of future research
directions, and evaluation of the progress of investigations. This review presents the common analytica, size
distribution methods used to characterize OM present in waters and wastewaters.
