A New Experimental Approach to the Humic Acid Problem

Journal/Book: Reprinted from Nature Vol. 198 No. 4876 pp. 217-218 April 13 1963. 1962/1963;

Abstract: Prof. D. H. R. BARTON F.R.S. and Dr. M. SCHNITZER* Department of Chemistry Imperial College of Science and Technology London S.W.7. * On leave from the Soil Research Institute Research Branch Canada Department of Agriculture Central Experimental Farm Ottawa Ontario Canada. 1 Schnitzer M. and Desjardins J. G. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 26 362 (1962). 2 Purdie T. and Irvine J. C. J. Chem. Soc. Trans. 83 1021 (1903). ORGANIC matter originating from the B horizon of a podzol soil is of interest for two reasons. First because of the presence of a large number of functional groups it reacts readily with metals metallic oxides and possibly clays and can therefore serve as a model for metallo-organic reactions in soils. Secondly so far as organic chemists are concerned its low molecular weight makes it a suitable starting material for the investigation of the chemical structure of soil humic acids. The soil sample originated from the B horizon of the Armadale soil a podzol developed on sandy loam in Prince Edward Island Canada. Methods of extraction purification and drying of organic matter were analogous to those described previously1. About 90 per cent of the organic matter present in the original soil sample was extracted. ... schö

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