Based on the Second International Conference of the International Humic Substances Society held in Birmingham, England, in 1984, this compendium reviews ways of studying the structure and function of humic substances, including the use of both degradative and nondegradative processes. Also considers nitrogen in humic substances, humic molecules and the interactions between humic and other substances.
Humic substances occur in all kinds of aquatic systems, but are particularly important in northern, coniferous areas. They strongly modify the aquatic ecosystems and also constitute a major problem in the drinking water supply. This volume covers all aspects of aquatic humic substances, from their origin and chemical properties, their effects on light and nutrient regimes and biogeochemical cycling, to their role regarding organisms, productivity and food web organization from bacteria to fish. Special emphasis is paid to carbon cycling and food web organization in humic lakes, but aspects of marine carbon cycling related to humus are treated as well.
This volume uses a molecular approach to bring the reader up to date with research into the structure and properties of these unusual materials. Agricultural and environmental scientists will find its coverage of HS use for soil remediation and enhancement and in water purification as alternatives to conventional methods invaluable.
Humic acids (HA) make up an important component of soil humus related to the maintenance of soil water-holding capacity, stabilization of soil structure and fertility and vital activity of soil micro-organisms, plants and animals. Additionally, obtaining humic substances (HS) from vermicompost has shown to be a promising alternative for large scale use in agriculture. Humic substances (HS) are also major components of natural organic matter (NOM) in soil and water as well as in geological organic deposits. This book includes chapters on vermicompost-derived liquid humus in low-input and small-scale farming; the production of liquid organic fertilizers enriched with humic substances from olive mill wastes; mechanisms of protective action of the HUMI preparation on wheat plant response to toxic ions; the application of surface-enhanced Raman scattering and fluorescence spectroscopy on silver plasmonic nanoparticles as innovative techniques to study humic substances; the complexation of metal ions with humus substances in soils and water and the final chapter examines the natural organic matter in drinking water.
The first comprehensive account of these important environmental interactions, this book describes the binding reactions, how they can be mathematically modelled, and how this knowledge is used to interpret environmental phenomena in soils, waters and sediments. A valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, environmental scientists, ecologists and geochemists.
Humic substances are ubiquitous in the environment. These remarkable brown biomaterials are found in animals, plants, coals, sediments, soils and water. They are crucial components of the carbon cycle and other life processes. Humic Substances: Nature's Most Versatile Materials contains a compilation of papers presented at the 2002 Humic Substances Seminar and will keep humic substances scientists up to date with the latest research.
Humic Substances color all waters more or less brown. Their concentrations exceed all carbon of living organisms by at least one order of magnitude. Opposite to former paradigms, they participate in almost any metabolic pathway. They protect against UV-irradation, enable indirect photolysis and, thus, purify hazardous chemicals, they provide inorganic and organic nutrients, may form cryptic genes with DNA and dampen metabolic fluctuations. More recently they can increase adverse effects of hazardous chemicals and they can directly interfere with organisms. The book tries to relate effects to structural features.
The field of humic matter research has undergone drastic changes in concepts and principles since the first edition of Humic Matter in Soil and the Environment: Principles and Controversies was published more than a decade ago. Still the only book of its kind specifically addressing humic acid principles and controversies, the Second Edition presen
This book is written as a reference on organic substances in natural waters and as a supplementary text for graduate students in water chemistry. The chapters address five topics: amount, origin, nature, geochemistry, and characterization of organic carbon. Of these topics, the main themes are the amount and nature of dissolved organic carbon in natural waters (mainly fresh water, although seawater is briefly discussed). It is hoped that the reader is familiar with organic chemistry, but it is not necessary. The first part of the book is a general overview of the amount and general nature of dissolved organic carbon. Over the past 10 years there has been an exponential increase in knowledge on organic substances in water, which is the result of money directed toward the research of organic compounds, of new methods of analysis (such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry), and most importantly, the result of more people working in this field. Because of this exponential increase in knowledge, there is a need to pull together and summarize the data that has accumulated from many disciplines over the last decade.
This book highlights the increasing importance of humic substances in the different scientific fields related to terrestrial ecology, soil quality conservation, and environmental chemistry. It shows that modern humic substances research is not only directed to unravel their yet ill-defined chemical structure but is successfully exploring the interconnected chemical, biological, and physical processes that maintain the ecological equilibrium of soil and ensure a sustainable agricultural production. The book will primarily be of interest to soil scientists and to ecological and environmental scientists. People in the fields of forest science, agronomy, analytical and environmental chemistry, water science, environmental engineering, and coal science will also find this publication worthy of their attention.
