ABSTRACT
T h e d iffe ren ce s in so rp tio n b e h a v io rs o f so il an d se d im e n ts ca n b e re la ted in la rg e m e asu re to d iffe ren t d eg rees o f d iag en e tic a lte ra tio n o f th e ir a s so c ia te d n a tu ra l o rg an ic m atte r. N a tu ra l o rg an ic m a tte r is k n o w n to ch an g e o v e r g eo lo g ica l tim e fro m a h ig h ly a m o rp h o u s o r ru b b ery s ta te to a m u ch m o re co n d e n se d o r g la ssy s tru c tu re (6 ). T h e so rp tio n c h a rac te r is tic s o f H O C s by g eo so rb e n ts w e re fo u n d to b e fu n c tio n s o f th e d ia g en e tic “a g e ” o f th e so il o rg an ic m a trice s (5 , 6 ). S o rp tio n by “y o u n g ” , a m o rp h o u s o rg an ic m atrice s ap p e a red to b e fast, lin ear, rev e rs ib le an d n o n co m p e titiv e , w h e rea s fo r th e “o ld e r” , co n d e n se d o rg an ic m a tte r, so lu te so rp tio n w as slo w , n o n lin ea r, h y ste re tic an d co m p etitiv e .
