Issue 2, 2000

Abstract

In the chemolysis products of extracted humic acids (HAs) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide, different compounds can be identified which allow a description of the sources of soil organic matter (SOM). It is possible to draw conclusions concerning stability, degree of intramolecular cross-linking and degradation of aliphatic and lignin components from the distinctive product ratios. The ratio of lignin derived acidic phenolic derivatives and their analogous aldehydes and the ratio of phenylpropenoic acids and analogous benzoic acids provide comparably good parameters for the characterization of the state of degradation of lignin compounds to relatively stable HA building blocks. Regarding the aliphatic chemolysis products, α,ω-dicarboxylic acid and methoxy fatty acid contents indicate an intramolecular cross-linking state within the HA molecules and the degree of stable aliphatic constituent parts. High contents of unsaturated fatty acids can be considered as an indicator of an easy degradable humic skeleton because with their double bonds they represent active sites for further transformations. The suitability of the carbon preference index as an indicator of a biogenic carbon source can be confirmed. It is remarkable how the results obtained from extracted humic acids are in accordance with the expectations for the different SOMs derived from land use.

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Nov 1999
Accepted
17 Jan 2000
First published
18 Feb 2000

J. Environ. Monit., 2000,2, 165-169

Comparison of degradation state and stability of different humic acids by means of chemolysis with tetramethylammonium hydroxide

M. Grote, S. Klinnert and W. Bechmann, J. Environ. Monit., 2000, 2, 165 DOI: 10.1039/A909253F

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