ABSTRACT

Wetlands manufacture and contain a wide spectrum of organic compounds. These compounds range from small molecules such as methane to humic acids of very high molecular weight. Many wetland soils are organic in nature and possess an affinity for introduced organics, via sorption and other binding mechanisms. Aliphatic hydrocarbons, both straight-chain and branched, are present as natural waxes. As a result, trace (background) amounts of some hydrocarbons are present in all wetlands, whether constructed or natural.