Various images from the detailed BPCA method protocol.
Dissolved black carbon (DBC) is the condensed aromatic portion of dissolved organic matter (DOM) that comes from wildfire, petroleum, and other thermogenic sources. The measurement of DBC allows researchers to examine the production, accumulation, and cycling of a biologically refractory (i.e. relatively inert) fraction of organic carbon in various aquatic settings. In our lab, we use the benzenepolycarboxylic acid (BPCA) method to quantify DBC along the river-to-ocean continuum, which involves the harsh oxidation of DOM extracted from water and subsequent analysis of BPCA products via high-performance liquid chromatography.
For brevity, peer-reviewed research articles and methods papers usually summarize or omit some sample preparative and analytical details. These technical omissions make it difficult for researchers who are looking to adopt or refine the BPCA method. To address this, Riley Barton led the recent publication of a step-by-step protocol and accompanying paper to lower the barrier to entry for those who want to incorporate BPCA analysis and DBC quantification into their research but do not have a high level of access to those already familiar with the method. We hope that expanding the accessibility of this method will enhance the number of DBC studies and will contribute new perspectives on DBC biogeochemistry to further the scientific understanding of this long-lived compound class in the environment.
The step-by-step protocol is freely available at protocols.io and the accompanying paper was published in the journal PLoS ONE and is entitled “Measuring dissolved black carbon in water via aqueous, inorganic, high-performance liquid chromatography of benzenepolycarboxylic acid (BPCA) molecular markers”.
