Carbon of Particulate Organic Matter

At present the particulate material, one of the components of which in natural waters is OM, is assumed to comprise that part of OM which is retained in the filters with 0.45 – 1 µm pore size or in separators. Large OM particles in natural waters are present in an extremely scattered state and are usually not to be found in filtration particulate suspensates. Their quantity in the ocean, compared to the bulk of OM is insignificant, but they play an important role in the supply of labile OM to the sediments and in nutrition of the benthos.