Interactions between arsenic and natural organic matter NOM

8 Interactions between arsenic and natural organic matter (NOM) 

NOM is common in sediments, soils, and near ambient ( 50 °C) water. The materials result from the partial decomposition of organisms. They contain a wide variety of organic compounds, including carboxylic acids, carbohydrates, phenols, amino acids, and humic substances (Drever, 1997, 107-119 Wang and Mulligan, 2006, 202). Humic substances are especially important in interacting with arsenic. They result from the partial microbial decomposition of aquatic and terrestrial plants. The major components of humic substances are humin, humic acids, and fulvic acids. By definition, humin is insoluble in water. While fulvic acids are water-soluble under all pH conditions, humic acids are only soluble in water at pH 2 (Drever, 1997, 113-114). 

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