Fractionation of organic matter due to reaction with ferrihydrite: coprecipitation versus adsorption.
In soil and water, ferrihydrite frequently forms in the presence of dissolved organic matter. This disturbs crystal growth and gives rise to coprecipitation of ferrihydrite and organic matter. To compare the chemical fractionation of organic matter during coprecipitation with the fractionation involved in adsorption onto pristine ferrihydrite surfaces we prepared ferrihydrite-organic matter associations by adsorption and coprecipitation using (i) a forest-floor extract or (ii) a sulfonated lignin. The reaction products were studied by (13)C CPMAS NMR, FTIR, and analysis of hydrolyzable neutral polysaccharides. Relative to the original forest-floor extract, the ferrihydrite-associated organic matter was enriched in polysaccharides, especially when adsorption took place. Moreover, mannose and glucose were bound preferentially to ferrihydrite, while fucose, arabinose, xylose, and galactose accumulated in the supernatant. This fractionation of sugar monomers was more pronounced during coprecipitation and led to an enhanced ratio of (galactose + mannose)/(arabinose + xylose). Experiments with lignin revealed that the ferrihydrite-associated material was enriched in its aromatic components but had a lower ratio of phenolic C to aromatic C than the original lignin. A compositional difference between the adsorbed and coprecipitated lignin is obvious from a higher contribution of methoxy C in the coprecipitated material. Coprecipitated organic matter may thus differ in amount and composition from adsorbed organic matter.
Institut für Geowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany. karin.eusterhues@uni-jena.de
Karin
K
Eusterhues
Thilo
T
Rennert
Heike
H
Knicker
Ingrid
I
Kögel-Knabner
Kai U
KU
Totsche
Udo
U
Schwertmann
D000327:Adsorption; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014197:Trees
D005290:Ferric Compounds; D009005:Monosaccharides; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011134:Polysaccharides; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C092844:ferric oxyhydroxide; D008031:Lignin