Destruction of organic matter

T Gorsuch The Destruction of Organic Matter, Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1970... 

Soil physical properties most likely to be altered by biomass burning are soil structure, soil wettability, and clay mineralogy (Table HI) (43). The destruction of organic matter results in losses of soil structure, increases in bulk density, diminished aggregate stability and decreases in macropore space (44). 

Sequi P., Aringhieri R. Destruction of organic matter by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of pyrophosphate and its effect on soil specific surface area. Soil Sci Soc Am J 1977 41 340-343. 

Middleton, G. and Stuckey, R.E. (1954) The preparation of biological material for the determination of trace metals. Part II. A method for the destruction of organic matter in biological material. Analyst 79, 138-142. 

Mineralisation consists of the destruction of organic matter. Dry (oven) or humid (acid treatment) methods can be used for this purpose. Due to the absence of a universal method applicable to all mineral elements, it is necessary to adapt mineralisation to the sample being analysed. This stage, which is indispensable for the preparation of many types of samples, particularly those analysed by atomic absorption or emission, can be facilitated by the use of microwave digestion. 

Destruction of organic matter, displacement by ligands (EDTA)... 

Acid Digestions. Oil and process waters The procedure used has been described by Walker, Runnels, and Merryfield (27). In some cases, use of perchloric acid is undesirable. Slow addition of 30% H0O2 may be substituted for perchloric acid. Several additions may be necessary to effect complete destruction of organic matter. 

Namsaraev B. B., Dulov L. E., DubininaG. A., Zemskaya T. 1., Granina L. Z., and Karabanov E. V. (1994) Bacterial synthesis and destruction of organic matter in microbial mats of Lake Baikal. Microbiology 63, 193-197. 

Figure 15.6. Photosynthesis and respiration, (a) A well-balanced ecosystem may be characterized by a stationary state between photosynthetic production, P (rate of production of organic material) and heterotrophic respiration, R (rate of destruction of organic matter). Photosynthetic functions and respiratory functions may become vertically segregated in a lake or in the sea. In the surface waters the nutrients become exhausted by photosynthesis, (b) The subsequent destruction (respiration) of organism-produced particles after settling leads to enrichment of the deeper water layers with these nutrient elements and a depletion of dissolved oxygen. The relative compositional constancy of the aquatic biomass and the uptake (P) and release (R) of nutritional elements in relatively constant proportions (see equation 3) are responsible for a co-variance of carbon, nitrate, and phosphate in lakes (during stagnation period) and in the ocean an increase in the concentration of these elements is accompanied by a decrease in dissolved oxygen, (c, d) The constant proportions AC/AN/AP/AO2 typically observed in these waters are caused by the stoichiometry of the P-R processes.

In the case of copper, spectral interferences in ICPMS were found, leading to high results which were probably caused by a spectral overlap from an unidentified polyatomic species at mass 65. The existence of this species was confirmed by a mass spectrum obtained by high resolution ICPMS, although its exact composition could not be determined. DPASV and CSV were in good agreement with the other techniques in this case. Provided that a proper destruction of organic matter be carried out, no problems were actually suspected for Cu. 

Many of the basic analytical methods used for determining selenium in biological media are also used for determining selenium levels in soil, water, and air. Precautions in the collection and storage of environmental samples, however, are necessary to prevent loss of the volatile selenium compounds to the air. The destruction of organic matter before selenium measurement is also often necessary. 

Gorsuch, T., Destruction of Organic Matter, pp. 77-79, Pergamon London, 1970. 

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