What is CDOM?
Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) is organic matter whose optical properties are measurable using WPI’s Liquid Waveguide Capillary Cell (LWCC). CDOM occurs naturally in water systems and is derived from organic tannins. CDOM concentration depends on the location where samples are taken, with coastal waters showing higher CDOM concentrations compared to open-ocean waters. In addition, CDOM absorption depends on open-ocean water depth. LWCCs are fiber optic flow cells that combine an increased optical pathlength (1–500 cm) with small sample volumes ranging from 2.4 μL to about 3 mL.