CHEMISTRY OF HUMIC SUBSTANCES EXTRACTED FROM AN ARCTIC SOIL
A humic and a fulvic acid, extracted from the Ahb horizon of an earth hummock occurring on an Alpine Tundra (Brunic Turbic Cryosol) in the northern part of the Mackenzie river in the Northwest Territories, were characterized by elementary and functional group analyses and by optical measurements. To...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Soil Science |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
1975
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/cjss75-015 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.4141/cjss75-015 |
| Summary: | A humic and a fulvic acid, extracted from the Ahb horizon of an earth hummock occurring on an Alpine Tundra (Brunic Turbic Cryosol) in the northern part of the Mackenzie river in the Northwest Territories, were characterized by elementary and functional group analyses and by optical measurements. To obtain more detailed structural information, the humic acid, the major organic fraction in the soil extract, was degraded by alkaline permanganate and alkaline cupric oxide oxidation. The degradation products were identified on a gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric–computer system. The analytical characteristics of the Arctic humic and fulvic acids were similar to those reported in the literature for humic and fulvic acids from more moderate climates. However, effects of near-surface permafrost and harsh Arctic climatic conditions manifested themselves in the degradation data. Compared to humic acids from warmer climates, the Arctic humic acid appeared to be poorly developed, exhibiting a low degree of condensation and aromaticity, a low resistance to mild chemical oxidants, yielding only very small amounts of benzenepolycarboxylic acids higher than the di-forms, but relatively large quantities of aliphatic carboxylic acids, especially the n-C 16 and n-C 18 fatty acids. |
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