Home – Home – Jornals – Chemistry for Sustainable Development 2015 number 5

The elemental composition of humic acids (HA) of sapropel from the lakes of the Middle Ob Region and the south of the Ob-Irtysh basin, formed under various hydrothermal and ecological conditions, was studied for the first time. Specific features of the elemental composition (element content, atomic ratios, oxidation degree) were revealed, pointing to the relations between aromatic and aliphatic parts and to the conditions under which humification proceeds. Nitrogen content of HA in sapropel from the Novosibirsk Region is almost twice higher than that in HA in sapropel from Khanty-Mansiysk AD. It was established that the H/C ratio varies within the range 0.83-1.19 for HA of sapropel from the sothern part of West Siberia, while for HA of the Middle Ob territory this ratio varies from 0.87 to 1.24. This is an evidence of lower benzenoid degree  and “maturity” of macromolecules in the taiga region. With respect to oxidation degree , HA of sapropel have reduced form and the negative  value, except for HA of sapropel from some lakes in the Middle Ob Region, for which oxidized forms and positive  values were established. The results of the work may be used for large-scale evaluation of sapropel deposits; they may also serve as information source for making humic preparations. The studies are necessary for the development of technologies for the production of new kinds of products for agriculture, medicine and engineering.