Humic Substances: Structures, Properties and Uses

This book is unique in highlighting environmental processes from a molecular viewpoint, focusing on the use of chemical and physical methodology to explain this complex subject matter and emphasizing the most up-to-date research. It covers aspects of the biology, chemistry, physics and physiology of humic substance macromolecules, includes the very latest in high level molecular modelling and teaches techniques of particular relevance to agriculture and agronomy. The growing industrial use of humic substances for plant stimulation, alternative energy sources and bioremediation is also featured.

Humic substances may not be beautiful, but they do beautiful things." Furthermore, these richly carbon-endowed polymers are among nature's least understood materials. Twenty papers from the second Humic Substances [HSs] Seminar held March 27, 1998 at Northeastern U., Boston, delve into the multiple roles of HSs as acid-base buffers; binders to metals, molecules, ions, clay, and other polymers; water retainers (in the solid state); and catalysts and regulators in all life forms. Topics include: progress toward characterizing the properties of HSs, humic and fulvic acids in litter decomposition and composting, the implications for biological activity of the generation of free radicals by humic acid, HSs for enhancing turfgrass growth, and the humic acid solution to the greenhouse gas dilemma.

Preface

Chapter 1. : Humic Substances: Progress Towards More Realistic Concepts of Structures
Chapter 2. : Use of C NMR and FTIR for Elucidation of Degradation Pathways During Natural Litter Decomposition and Composting. II. Changes in Leaf Composition After Senescence
Chapter 3. : Use of C NMR and FTIR for Elucidation of Degradation Pathways During Natural Litter Decomposition and Composting. III. Characterization of Leachate from Different Types of Leaves
Chapter 4. : Use of C NMR and FTIR for Elucidation of Degradation Pathways During Natural Litter Decomposition and Composting. IV. Characterization of Humic and Fulvic Acids Extracted from Senescent Leaves
Chapter 5. : Characterization and Properties of Humic Substances Originating from an Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Plant
Chapter 6. : Structure and Elemental Composition of Humic Acids: Comparison of Solid-State C NMR Calculations and Chemical Analyses
Chapter 7. : Comparison of Desorption Mass Spectrometry Techniques for the Characterization of Fulvic Acid
Chapter 8. : The Relative Importance of Molecular Size and Charge Differences in Capillary Electrophoresis of Humic Substances of Different Origin
Chapter 9. : Fluorescence Decay of Humic Substances. A Comparative Study
Chapter 10. : Effect of Lime Additions to Lake Water on Natural Organic Matter (NOM) in Lake Terjevarm, SE Norway: FTIR and Fluorescence Spectral Changes
Chapter 11. : A Computational Chemistry Approach to Study the Interactions of Humic Substances with Mineral Surfaces
Chapter 12. : Determination of Trace Metals Bound to Soil Humic Acid Species by Size Exclusion Chromatography and Inductively Coupled Plasma-mass Spectrometry
Chapter 13. : Formation and Voltammetric Characterization of Iron-Humate Complexes of Different Molecular Weight
Chapter 14. : Nonlinearity and Competitive Sorption of Hydrophobic Organic Compounds in Humic Substances
Chapter 15. : Adsorption of a Plant- and a Soil-derived Humic Acid on the Common Clay Kaolinite
Chapter 16. : Effect of Dissolved Organic Matter on the Movement of Pesticides in Soil Columns
Chapter 17. : Generation of Free Radicals by Humic Acid: Implications for Biological Activity
Chapter 18. : Humic Acid as a Substrate for Alkylation
Chapter 19. : Humic Substances for Enhancing Turfgrass Growth
Chapter 20. : Greenhouse Gas Dilemma and Humic Acid Solution

Subject Index