ABSTRACT
The nature and characteristics of humic acids isolated from the sediments of fjord, lake and river environments in the Arctic region were studied. A preliminary understanding of sediments was done with the biochemical composition and indices providing information regarding these sediments’ productivity and nutritional quality. The humic acids were isolated from each station and further analysed for studying their elemental composition, structural characteristics and metal complexation properties with the help of an elemental analyser and various spectroscopic techniques such as UV-Visible, FT-IR and ICP-OES. The degree of carboxylation and lignin contributions towards humic acid formation is supported with various elemental ratios. The degree of aromaticity and various other humic acid moieties’ specifications was understood with the ratios obtained from the UV-Visible spectroscopic data. FTIR spectrums provided an insight into the functional groups present in each humic acid isolated, giving its uniqueness from the other. The metal complexing properties of humic acids were also a major part of this study with ICP-OES spectroscopic technique to distinguish the metals present in bulk and trace quantities within the humic acid.
