Sedimentary humic acid and fulvic acid as surface active substances

Surface tension of sedimentary fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) with molecular weight from < 10,000 to > 300,000 was measured at 5°C and 25°C, over a wide range of concentrations (0.114-107.4 g/l) at pH 8. HA was in the form of sodium humate. Surface tension decreases with an increase in HA and FA concentration and both HA and FA were found to be surface active materials with FA exhibiting the lowest surface tension (31 dynes/cm).Plots of surface tension vs. log concentration gave two straight lines with a break at a certain concentration similar to surfactants. From the concentration at the break point, aggregation concentration (AGC) was determined. For HA with molecular weight above 10,000, the AGC decreased with an increase in molecular weight. The more hydrophobic the HA, the greater was the tendency to form aggregates. Surface excess (surface concentration) was determined (2.3 × 10^?10?5.5 × 10^?10mol/cn²) from the slope of the plot of surface tension vs. log concentration for concentrations lower than the AGC. Adsorption of HA into the surface layer increased with increasing molecular weight of HA.     

The complexation of iron by marine humic acid

Cation exchange capacity measurements, performed before and after removal of humic acid from Narragansett Bay sediments, indicate that low concentrations of these organic substances strongly influence the ability of the sediment to react with metal ions. Atomic absorption and spectrophotometric methods allow quantitative determination of the extent of reaction between a naturally occurring humic acid and iron in artificial seawater. Humic acid-iron complexes are formed whose solubilities depend on the humic acid-iron ratio used in the experiment. This study suggests that humic acid is a transporting agent for trace metals in a marine environment.     

胡敏酸在高岭土上的吸附行为

研究了胡敏酸在高岭土上的吸附行为 ,并运用X衍射、红外光谱和热重等分析方法 ,对复合前后的高岭土进行分析。结果表明 ,连续洗涤 6次后 ,可获得稳定的胡敏酸高岭土复合体 ;胡敏酸在高岭土上的吸附符合Fruendlich吸附模式 ,Kf 为 0 .85 7;高岭土胡敏酸复合体的红外光谱出现了明显的C—H振动吸收峰 ;吸附行为主要表现为化学吸附 ,发生在铝的表面羟基吸附位上     

Removal of cadmium and humic acid from aqueous solutions using surface modified nanozeolite A

The sorption of cadmium and humic acids from aqueous solutions using surface-modified nanozeolite A has been investigated under various examination conditions. The morphology of untreated and treated nanozeolite was studied under scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Isotherms of cadmium adsorption onto surface-modified nanozeolite A were studied at different pH, solid to liquid ratio, adsorbate concentration and interaction time. Kinetic and equilibrium studies were conducted and the equilibrium data have been analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The study revealed that experimental results were in agreement with the Freundlich model. The Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity was found to be 1666.67 g cadmium and 6.75 g humic acid per gram of modified nanozeolite A, which is higher than that of reported value for other zeolites. The sorption ability was enhanced by surface modification and reduction in size and enabled the zeolite to adsorb cadmium. The adsorption of cadmium and humic acid on nanozeolite was found to be the highest at pH 6 and 3, respectively. Results showed that solid to liquid ratio and pH are the most important factors for cadmium and humic acid removal, respectively. Effect of competitive ions was studied and results showed that there is no competition between cadmium and humic acid sorption and presence of these ions.     

Sorption of metals on humic acid

The sorption on humic acid (HA) of metals from an aqueous solution containing Hg(II). Fe(III), Pb, Cu, Al, Ni, Cr(III), Cd, Zn, Co and Mn, was investigated with special emphasis on effects of pH, metal concentration and HA concentration. The sorption efficiency tended to increase with rise in pH, decrease in metal concentration and increase in HA concentration of the equilibrating solution. At pH 2.4. the order of sorption was: Hg? Fe? Pb? CuAl ? Ni ? CrZnCdCoMn. At pH 3.7. the order was: Hg and Fe were always most readily removed, while Co and Mn were sorbed least readily. There were indications of competition for active sites (CO₂H and phenolic OH groups) on the HA between the different metals. We were unable to find correlations between the affinities of the eleven metals to sorb on HA and their atomic weights, atomic numbers, valencies, and crystal and hydrated ionic radii. The sorption of the eleven metals on the HA could be described by the equation $\text{Y =}\text{100}\text{[1 + exp ? (A + BX)]}$, where Y = % metal removed by HA; X = mgHA; and A and B are empirical constants.     

Boron isotopic fractionation related to boron sorption on humic acid and the structure of surface complexes formed

Boron isotopic fractionation during adsorption onto Ca-flocculated Aldrich humic acid (HA) has been investigated experimentally as a function of solution pH at 25°C and I = 0.15 M. Boron aqueous concentration and isotopic composition were determined by Cs₂BO₂⁺ Positive Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry analysis, while the structure of B surface complexes on HA was characterized using ¹¹B Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS NMR). Significant B sorption on HA was observed at 6 < pH < 12 with a maximum value of Kd, the partition coefficient between adsorbed and aqueous boron, equal to 40 at pH = 9.5-10. Combined ¹¹B MAS NMR analysis and FITEQL modeling of B sorption on HA showed that this element forms tetrahedrally coordinated five- or six-membered ring chelates, most likely 1,2-diol and 1,3-diol complexes at alkaline pH (8 < pH < 11) and dicarboxylic complexes at near neutral conditions (6 < pH < 9). Results of this study demonstrate for the first time that boron sorption on HA induces a strong pH-dependent isotope fractionation—with ¹¹B depleted at the surface of HA—that reaches a maximum at 5 < pH < 9 (α = 0.975, Δ = −25‰) and decreases sharply at pH >9. The measured isotope fractionation cannot be modeled assuming that the isotopic composition of the sorbed borate species is identical to that of B(OH)₄^- species in the parent solution. It is shown that the extent of isotopic fractionation depends not only on B aqueous speciation but also on the distribution and structure of the borate surface complexes formed. In agreement with energetic constrains, calculation of the isotope fractionation factors between aqueous boric acid and boron surface complexes suggests that the formation of the strained six-membered ring 1,3-diol complex yields a much higher fractionation (α_BLP1−III = 0.954-0.960, Δ = −41/-47‰) than that of the very stable five-membered ring 1,2-diol (α_BLP2−III = 0.983, Δ = −18‰). The results of this study open new perspectives to understand and model boron biogeochemical cycle. It is predicted that boron sorption onto organic matter can have important consequences for the boron isotopic composition of surface water reservoirs (seawater, groundwater, soil waters) in which either abundant organic surfaces or significant boron concentrations are available. In addition, the large isotope fractionation between aqueous boric acid and surface boron-organic complexes found in the present work makes boron a promising tracer of biologic activity.     

Sedimentary humic acid and fulvic acid as fluorescent organic materials

Fluorescence and absorption spectra of sedimentary humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA), with molecular weights ranging from < 10,000 to >300,000, were measured at 20°C and pH 8. The maximum excitation and emission wavelengths of HA were longer than those of FA, being independent of molecular weight. The excitation and emission maxima can be utilized to differentiate between sedimentary HA and FA. It is suggested that the fluorophors in HA are of a higher molecular weight aromatic groups than those in FA.Smaller molecules were found to have a greater fluorescence than larger ones for sedimentary humic substances and this phenomenon is similar to those obtained for humic substances of terrestrial origin. The absorption coefficient (1/g/cm) of HA decreased, while that of FA increased with the increase in molecular weight. It was shown that fluorescence intensity per weight concentration unit of HA increases and that of FA decreases with increasing absorption coefficient.     

Nonaqueous titration of functional groups in humic acid

Humic acid was titrated by sodium methoxide in dimethylsulfoxide using platinum-calomel electrode systems. Adding benzoic acid and phenol as internal standards to humic acid yielded two inflections. The titer at the first inflection point was equivalent to the carboxyl groups whose pK_a (H₂O) values were less than 7. The difference between the titers at the two inflection points was equivalent to the phenolic hydroxyl groups whose pK_a (H₂O) values were 7–10. Calculated results for the carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl groups in humic acid obtained by the nonaqueous titration method agreed closely with those obtained by conventional methods.     

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix characterization of a commercial humic acid

Excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM) has been widely used to elucidate the origin and structure of humic substances in natural environments. Due to its high sensitivity, good selectivity and non-destructive advantage, the EEM was applied to characterizing a commercial Fluka humic acid (FHA). The results showed that the EEMs of FHA has several Ex/Em peaks. Ionic strength (0-0.05 moL/L KClO4 ) exerted little effect on the fluorescence properties of FHA, while the concentrations (5-100mg/L) of FHA and pH (2-12 ) had significant effects. A red shift in the longer wavelength peak region was observed when the coneentrations or pH values increased. The fluorescence intensity increased with increasing pH, but slightly decreased in the case of pH = 5.0. The protonation constants ( lgK^ HL ) of peak B were calculated to be 3.57 and 3.13, indicating that peak B was due to carboxyl groups. The r(A/B) values range from 0.61 to 2.59. A strong linear relationship between r(A/B) and pH was also observed. This indicates that the fluorescence peaks A and B posses similar inherent fluorescence characteristics.     

Characterization of insolubilized humic acid and its sorption behaviors

Insolubilized humic acid (IHA) was prepared in the laboratory by heating approach. Through the comparison between the endothermic peaks, optimal heating temperature was determined to be 330°C. The modified IHA then was characterized by TG-DTA, SEM, FTIR, element analysis, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. The removal efficiency of p-nitrophenol from the aqueous solution by adsorption onto solid IHA surfaces was shown to be a function of pH, reaction temperature, and p-nitrophenol concentration. Adsorption equilibrium data satisfactorily fitted the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Under a certain concentration range, the removal rate of p-nitrophenol at pH 3.5 could reach 24, 29, and 35 mg/g at a temperature of 25, 35, and 45±0.1°C. The results suggest that IHA could play a role as a potential efficient absorbent to remove organic contaminants, e.g., utilized to purify water contaminated by organic compounds.     

滩涂沉积物中腐殖酸对Cr（Ⅲ）的吸附平衡实验

近海滩涂是一类集中反映人类活动对地区环境影响的特定环境系统，其沉积物中腐殖质对排入重金属的迁移规律有显著影响。本文以渤海近岸滩涂沉积物为分析对象，提取其中腐殖酸，对Cr（Ⅲ）进行吸附性能实验分析，结果表明：0．1g的腐殖酸在室温条件下（20～25℃），pH值在4～5之间，在Cr（Ⅲ）的浓度达到800μg/mL时可达到饱和吸附，吸附量为6．5mg/g；腐殖酸对Cr（Ⅲ）的吸附符合Langmuir等温吸附方程。     

The bonding of vanadium in complexes with humic acid: an electron paramagnetic resonance study

Complexes formed by the addition of vanadyl salts to a peat humic acid have been studied by EPR spectroscopy. The spectra show that the vanadium is in an environment with approximately axial symmetry. The g-values and ⁵¹V hyperfine coupling constants indicate that the vanadium remains in the vanadyl state and is complexed possibly either by oxygen donor groups or by mixed oxygennitrogen donor groups in the humic acid. Identical spectra were obtained when the vanadium was added to the humic acid as the metavanadate ion, thus showing that reduction of vanadium from oxidation state (V) to (IV) occurs.     

The surface of labradorite feldspar after acid hydrolysis

After reaction with a pH < 4, the surface of labradorite is extensively enriched in Si and H, and depleted in Al, Ca and Na relative to an unreacted crystal. However, the amount of hydrogen measured in the reacted surface is less than that predicted on the basis of exchange of hydrogen (or hydronium) ions for cations in the feldspar. By analogy with studies of silicate glass, this low concentration of hydrogen suggests that some silanol groups in the reacted surface repolymerize subsequent to ion-exchange and depolymerization reactions. The net result is a relatively porous, Si-rich leached layer which is amorphous to electron diffraction, and which allows rapid diffusion of unreactive solutes.

Both the surface area of the reacted feldspar and the porosity increase with acid hydrolysis. Modeling of nitrogen sorption onto the surface suggests that the pores have a nominal radius of 20–80 Å or less. This distribution of pore sizes resembles other acid-reacted silicate materials, such as glass, chrysotile and kaolinite. Although the mineral surface clearly becomes more porous during acid hydrolysis, the increase in powder area also does not coincide with an increase in the flux of dissolved Si from the powder. We thus attribute most of this increase in area to spallation of the silica-rich surface from the feldspar upon drying.     

Aggregation of humic acid in solution: Contributions of different fractions

The role of lipid components in the aggregation of several humic acids isolated from different sources was investigated using surface tensiometry. A combination of aqueous alkaline and organic solvent extractions was used to isolate two humic-like fractions (HA₁ and HA₂) and one lipid-like fraction from each humic acid. Fraction HA₁ represents approximately two-thirds of the total organic carbon of the original humic acid and under alkaline conditions is a weak surfactant that lowers the surface tension of water by only a small amount. The HA₂ fraction represents up to one-third of the humic acid and significantly lowers the surface tension of water. It is also intimately associated with the lipid fraction. Unlike the original humic acid samples, HA₂ does not show micelle-like aggregation over the concentration range studied. Aggregate formation is discussed as an emergent characteristic that results from the interaction of the humic acid’s components with the lipid components serving a facilitative role.     

Influence of humic acid on bioavailability of heavy metals in sediments

The mimetic ocean environment and chemical method were used to research the bioavailability effect of humic acid on five heavy metals in sediment, including Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni. The sediment was separated into four containers with artificial seawater, and each of them had different concentrations of humic acid. The values of concentrations covered the whole range found in natural sediment （0.1%-10%）. According to the 48 hours LC50 of clam and distribution coefficient, metals were added in artificial seawater, and their speciation was determined at first and then after two days＇ incubation. It was found the bioavailability of heavy metals was reduced in the presence of humic acid. The obvious negative effect on Zn was observed, but the influence on Cd was not remarkable. In addition, the contents of Pb and Ni increased obviously in organic phase, and they are correlative with the concentrations of humic acid.     

Competitive interaction between soil-derived humic acid and phosphate on goethite

In order to better understand the influence and mechanism of soil-derived humic acid (SHA) on adsorption of P onto particles in soils, the amounts of PO₄ adsorbed by synthetic goethite (α-FeOOH) were determined at different concentrations of SHA, pH, ionic strength and order of addition of adsorbents. Addition of SHA can significantly reduce the amount of PO₄ adsorption as much as 27.8%. Both generated electrostatic field and competition for adsorption sites were responsible for the mechanism by which SHA inhibited adsorption of PO₄ by goethite. This conclusion was supported by measurement of total organic C (TOC), infrared spectral features and Zeta potential. Adsorption of PO₄ onto goethite was inversely proportional to pH. Order of addition of PO₄ and SHA can influence adsorption of PO₄ as follows: prior addition of PO₄ ⩾ simultaneous addition > prior addition of SHA. Iron and SHA apparently form complexes due to prior addition of SHA. Observations made during this study emphasized that PO₄ forms different types of complexes on the surface of goethite at different pH, which dominated the interaction of SHA and PO₄ adsorption on goethite. Based on these observations, the possible modes of SHA inhibition of PO₄ adsorption on goethite were proposed.     

Preparation and characterization of humic acid cross-linked with organic bridging groups

Cross-linking of humic substances with organic bridging groups is thought to contribute to the humification of soil organic matter. Model cross-linked humic substances were prepared by cross-linking Amherst soil humic acid by a diepoxide and a polycarboxylic acid, applying procedures established for cross-linking of polymers and textile fabrics. Products of the cross-linking reactions were analyzed by FTIR and ¹³C CPMAS NMR. Physicochemical properties of the products were determined by solubility experiments and thermal analysis. The incorporation of the cross-linker into the matrix of the humic acid by covalent linkages was confirmed by both the disappearance of bands of the reactive functional groups of the cross-linker in the FTIR spectrum and the increase of signals related to the incorporation of the cross-linker into the matrix of the humic acid in the FTIR and ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectra. The formation of covalent ester and ether linkages by the cross-linking reaction was indicated. Water solubilities at pH 6.2 of the cross-linked samples as determined by UV/Vis spectrometry were reduced compared to controls. Fewer water molecule bridges were formed in the cross-linked samples, which was attributed to a lower number of available functional groups and increased distances between humic acid strands caused by the cross-linking molecules. Reduced reactivities of humic acid strands in the cross-linked samples further indicated successful cross-linking. The reactions investigated in this study can be regarded as models for reactions occurring in natural soils to test the significance of cross-linking reactions in the humification process of soil organic matter and the physico-chemical properties and ecological function of organic matter in geosolids.     

腐殖酸三维荧光光谱特性研究

腐殖质的荧光特性被广泛用来解析其在各种天然环境中的来源及分布.由于荧光光谱分析具有灵敏度高,选择性好,且不破坏样品结构的优点,非常适合用来研究腐殖质的结构和官能团等特征.利用三维荧光激发-发射光谱研究了 Fluka腐殖酸的荧光光谱特性,结果显示,离子强度(0～0.05 mol/L KClO4)对 Fluka腐殖酸的三维荧光光谱特性影响非常小,而腐殖酸的浓度(5～100 mg/L)和溶液 pH(2～12)对其三维荧光光谱特性影响显著.当腐殖酸浓度增大时,荧光峰出现明显红移现象.荧光强度一般随着 pH的升高而增大,当 pH大于 10后呈下降趋势,我们从垃圾渗滤液溶解有机质的实验结果中也得到相同结论;在浓度为 50 mg/L和 100 mg/L的 Fluka腐殖酸中,荧光峰 B(fulvic-like)的荧光强度却在 pH=5.0左右时达到最大值,与前人报道的土壤富里酸的行为一致,质子化常数 lgK′ HL分别为 3.57和 3.13,与二羧基化合物接近,说明荧光峰 B可能与 Fluka腐殖酸结构中的羧基有关;荧光峰 A与荧光峰 B的荧光强度比值 r(A/B)在 0.61～2.59之间,并且在 pH=2～11范围内, r(A/B)与 pH具有较好的线性相关关系,表明荧光峰 A和荧光峰 B随着 pH值的改变有着相同的变化趋势.