Oxidation of humic acids from an agricultural soil and a lignite deposit: Analysis of lipophilic and hydrophilic products

For both HAs, RuO4 oxidation resulted in a lipophilic fraction containing low molecular weight products identical to those found in the base hydrolysate of the lipophilic fraction released upon H2O2 oxidation. The hydrophilic components released upon RuO4 oxidation were independent of the HA origin and consisted mainly of monosaccharides and disubstituted aromatic compounds. In agreement with the greater aromaticity of lignite HA, the aromatic compound/carbohydrate ratio was higher for lignite HA than soil HA. The results show that the fused aromatic structures had a small size and that carbohydrates could escape degradation during the humification process.