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Isolation and characterisation of recalcitrant organic components from an estuarine sediment core

  • SEDIMENTS, SEC 2 • PHYSICAL AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to isolate humic substances and humin from an estuarine sediment core using a novel sequential extraction procedure to characterise the isolates, to determine their compositions and to understand how the organic matter (OM) changes with time.

Materials and methods

The sediments were exhaustively extracted using the following media: 0.1 M NaOH; 0.1 M NaOH + 6 M urea; and dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) + H2SO4 (94:6 v/v). Pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (pyGC/MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were the analytical tools that gave the most significant data for the characterisation of the organic isolates.

Results and discussion

The results indicate subtle molecular compositional differences in relation to the alkaline and alkaline-urea isolates. The humic acids (HAs) and fulvic acids (FAs) are readily solvated in aqueous alkaline media compared to the aqueous insoluble hydrophobic humin (HU) components. In addition to aliphatic hydrocarbons, peptide materials make considerable contributions to the component structures of the isolates. Aryl and O-aryl C units characteristic of lignin, and of cutan structures from plants, indicate contributions from terrestrial OM to the organic components in the HU, especially from the base of the core. The evidence suggests that components of terrestrial plant materials and of microbial biomass are preferentially preserved with time and make the major contributions to the OM retained over long time scales. The data acquired provide detailed information about the origins, compositions, nature and the associations of the OM in the estuarine sediment core. Such information provides a greater understanding of the role of these organic components in the carbon (C) sink.

Conclusions

Humic acids and FAs are mineralised with time whereas HU is highly recalcitrant and represents a long-term sink for organic C. Humin is a separate organic entity and does not conform to the definitions of a humic substance. Terrestrial OM is preserved over long time scales in the environment. Protein makes significant contributions to all the organic isolates and its preservation suggests encapsulation in hydrophobic domains, or interactions with clay minerals.

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Thanks to Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI) IV who funded this research and EUOSSIC Erasmus Mundus for funding the study period at Monash University. Thanks to the Marine Institute Ireland and Geological Survey Ireland for the collection of samples. Thanks to the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) for a training bursary, and thanks to Prof. Andre Simpson who facilitated the acquisition of 2D NMR spectra.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Carbolea Research Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Rosaleen Mylotte & Michael H. B. Hayes

  2. School of Applied and Biomedical Science, Federation University, Churchill, 3842, Victoria, Australia

    Vincent Verheyen

  3. School of Applied Sciences and Engineering, Monash University, Churchill, 3842, Victoria, Australia

    Alicia Reynolds

  4. Department of Geography, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Catherine Dalton

  5. Centre for Green Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia

    Antonio F. Patti

  6. Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Rung Rung Chang

  7. School of Chemistry, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    James Burdon

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  1. Rosaleen Mylotte
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  2. Vincent Verheyen
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  3. Alicia Reynolds
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  4. Catherine Dalton
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  5. Antonio F. Patti
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  6. Rung Rung Chang
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  7. James Burdon
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  8. Michael H. B. Hayes
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Correspondence to Michael H. B. Hayes.

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Mylotte, R., Verheyen, V., Reynolds, A. et al. Isolation and characterisation of recalcitrant organic components from an estuarine sediment core. J Soils Sediments 15, 211–224 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0970-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0970-9

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