Abstract
Humic acid-like substances (HALS) are heterogeneous macromolecules having a range of physicochemical properties and exhibiting different reactivities in environmental systems. However, to study the HALS that were isolated from atmospheric falling dust is seldom compare to which were extracted from soils and sediments. To better understand the chemical composition and heterogeneous property of HALS, which were obtained in the present work by multiple extraction of atmospheric falling dust, and their chemical composition was characterized using pyrolytic gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS). This quick and effective procedure provides an insight into the structure and source of HALS. The results indicated that polysaccharides, lignin, protein/amino acid and aromatics are the main sources of this macromolecule organic fraction. Higher content of aromatic compounds which reached 67.42% suggested that aromatic structure is an important unit for HALS. Lignin-derived aromatic compounds are also major components of pyrolysates, while compounds derived from proteins and carbohydrates at higher concentrations were also detected. Compared with HALS fraction from dust in different sampling sites, it was suggested that biological emission and anthropogenic activity were the main contributors in suburban area of the university town and anthropogenic pollution was the main sources in urban area of the Wushan. The relative contents of pyrolysates in different seasons at the same sampling site indicated that meteorology is also an important factor to influence composition of HALS.
Highlights
Humic acid-like substances (HALS) are heterogeneous macromolecules and among the major organic constituents actively participanting in the global carbon cycle and controlling fate of organic and inorganic polluents in suface aquatic environments (Li, 2006)
Several physical and chemical methods have been used to characterize structural and molecular properties of HALS, such as infrared spectroscopy, 1H and/or 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, as well as chemical and thermal degradation techniques (Stevenson, 1994; Li et al, 2006). Those methods normally only bulk information on molecular structures of HALS, because of the compositional complexity for HALS. Thermal degradation techniqunes, such as pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), yield a large number of structure components resulting in more detailed molecular information
This study aims at elucidate the structural and compositive characteristics of HALS extracted from dust
Summary
Humic acid-like substances (HALS) are heterogeneous macromolecules and among the major organic constituents actively participanting in the global carbon cycle and controlling fate of organic and inorganic polluents in suface aquatic environments (Li, 2006). The Several physical and chemical methods have been used to characterize structural and molecular properties of HALS, such as infrared spectroscopy, 1H and/or 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, as well as chemical and thermal degradation techniques (Stevenson, 1994; Li et al, 2006). Those methods normally only bulk information on molecular structures of HALS, because of the compositional complexity for HALS. Thermal degradation techniqunes, such as pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), yield a large number of structure components resulting in more detailed molecular information
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call