Chemical reactions of metals with humic material.
Humic substances are chemically very complex materials whose structure and reactions are not fully understood. They are believed to be macromolecules, spanning a wide range of molecular weights, which are formed from quinones and phenolic compounds. They contain a wide variety of functional groups, which may react with metals. Many different physical and chemical procedures have been used to study these interactions, and numerous different reaction mechanisms and products have been postulated. The colloidal properties of humic materials also affects their interactions with metals. Reaction with humic substances profoundly affects the environmental behaviour of metals. Solubility, plant availability and even volatility are all greatly influenced and can be either enhanced or reduced by these reactions.
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Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Merlewood Research Station, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria LA11 6JU, UK.