Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Indigenous 13C-NMR structural features of soil humic substances

Nature volume 292, pages 526–529 (1981)Cite this article

Abstract

13C-NMR has recently been used to characterize the structure of soild humic and fulvic acids1–7. However, these studies all used the classical NaOH extraction followed by acid precipitation (humic acids precipitate, fulvic acids are acid and base soluble) to isolate humic substances. There has been concern8–10 over the chemical alteration of such isolated acids. The studies reported here describe the effects of mild extraction techniques compared with the classical isolation procedure. Fractions were characterized by IR spectroscopy and 13C-NMR. In addition, IR and 13C-NMR spectra of hemicellulosic components, extracted by the classical procedure from cellulose, are compared with spectra of humic and fulvic acids isolated by the same procedure. These spectra elucidate the effect of extractants on aromaticity, paramagnetic coextractives effects on spectra quality, and spectral evidence for a cellulose component as an integral part of humic substances.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hatcher, P. G., Berger, I. A. & Mattingly, M. A. Nature 285, 560–562 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Villa, F. J. G., Martin, F., Saiz-Jiminez, Lentz, H. & Ludemann, H. D. Agrochimica 22, 501–506 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Stuermer, D. H. & Payne, J. R. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 46, 1109–1114 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wilson, M. A. & Goh, K. M. J. Soil Sci. 28, 645–652 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ruggiero, P., Interesse, F. S. & Sciacovelli, O. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 43, 1771–1775 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Grant, D. Nature 270, 709–710 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Wilson, M. A., Jones, A. J. & Williamson, B. Nature 276, 487–489 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Swft, R. S. & Posner, A. M. J. Soil Sci. 23, 381–393 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Ceccanti, B., Nannipievi, P., Cervelli, S. & Sigui, P. Soil Biochem. 10, 39–1978.

  10. Konnonova, M. M. & Alexandrova, I. Va., Geoderma 9, 157–164 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Gieseking, J. E. Soil Components Vol. 1 (Springer, New York, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Lenz, H., Ludemann, H. D. & Ziechmann, W. Geoderma 18, 325–328 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sciacovelli, O., Gessa, C., Ruggiero, P. A. & Testini, C. Soil Biol. Biochem. 12, 389–395 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Brunow, G. & Lemmetyiner, R. Acta Chem. Scand. B32, 545–546 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Holfe, G. Tetrahedron 32, 1431–1436 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kusumi, T., Shibata, Y., Bhitsuka, M., Kinoshuta, T. & Kakisawa, H. Chem. Lett.; Chem. Soc. Jap. 277–278 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Visser, S. A. J. Soil Sci. 15, 202–219 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Given, P. H. & Dickenson, C. H. Soil Biochem. 3, 123–211 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sauerbeck, D. & Fuhr, F. Soil Organic Matter No. 3-11 (IAEA, Vienna, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Swift, R. S. & Posner, A. M. Soil Organic Matter No. 211/19, 171–182 (IAEA, Vienna, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Zhigunov, A. V. & Simakov, V. N. Pochvoverdenie 12, 59–65 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Robertson, J. B. Topics in Dietary Fiber Research Ch. 1, 1–41 (Plenum, New York, 1978).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  23. Williams, K. T. & Bevenue, A. J. Ass. Offic. analyt. Chem. 39, 901–918 (1956).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Schultze, H. A. Physiol. Chem. 16, 387 (1892).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Shorey, E. C. & Martin, J. B. J. Am. chem. Soc. 52, 4907–4915 (1930).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Theng, B. K. G., Wake, J. R. H. & Posner, A. M. J. Soil Sci. 18, 349 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Dyer, J. R. Applications of Absorption Spectroscopy of Organic Compounds (Prentice Hall, New York, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Bovey, F. A. High Resolution NMR or Macromolecules (Academic, New York, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Abraham, R. J. & Loftus, P. Proton, and C-13 NMR Spectroscopy—An Integrated Approach (Heyden, London, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Levy, G. C. & Nelson, G. L. Carbon-13 NMR for Organic Chemists (Wiley, New York, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Sposito, G., Schaumberg, G. D., Perkins, T. G. & Holtzclaw, K. M. Envir. Sci. Technol. 12, 931–934 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wilson, M. A. & Goh, K. M. Plant Soil 46, 287–289 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Villa, F. J. G., Lentz, H. & Luderman, H. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 72, 1063–1070 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Ogner, G. Geochem. cosmochim. Acta 43, 105–108 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Jennings, H. J. & Smith, I. C. P. J. Am. chem. Soc. 95, 606–608 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Cheshire, M. V. J. Soil Sci. 28, 1–10 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Popoff, T. & Theander, O. Acta Chem. Scand. Serv. B30, 2–7 and 397–402 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Forsskahl, I., Popoff, T. & Theander, O. Carbohydr. Tes. 48, 13–21 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pesticide Research Laboratory, Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3T 2N2

    Brian L. Worobey & G. R. Barrie Webster

Authors
  1. Brian L. Worobey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. R. Barrie Webster
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Worobey, B., Webster, G. Indigenous 13C-NMR structural features of soil humic substances. Nature 292, 526–529 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/292526a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/292526a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing