Skip to main content

Effects of peat fires on the characteristics of humic acid extracted from peat soil in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 22, pages 2384–2395 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

When peat forest fires happen, it leads to burn soil and also humic acids as a dominant organic matter contained in peat soil as well as the forest. The structure and properties of humic acids vary depending on their origin and environment, therefore the transformation of humic acid is also diverse. The impacts of the peat fires on peat soil from Central Kalimantan, Indonesia were investigated through the characterization of humic acids, extracted from soil in burnt and unburnt sites. The characterization of humic acids was performed by elemental composition, functional groups, molecular weight by HPSEC, pyrolysate compounds by pyrolysis-GC/MS, fluorescence spectrum by 3DEEM spectrofluorometer, and thermogravimetry. The elemental composition of each humic substance indicated that the value of H/C and O/C of humic acids from burnt sites were lower than that from unburnt sites. The molecular weight of humic acids from burnt sites was also lower than that from unburnt sites. Pyrolysate compounds of humic acids from unburnt sites differed from those of humic acids from burnt soil. The heating experiment showed that burning process caused the significant change in the properties of humic acids such as increasing the aromaticity and decreasing the molecular weight.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

References

  • Almendros G, Martin F, Gonzalez-Vila FJ (1988) Effect of fire on humic and lipid fraction in a Distric Xerochrept in Spain. Geoderma 42:115–127

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almendros G, Gonzalez-Vila FJ, Martin F (1990) Fire induced transformation of soil organic matter from an oak forest: an experimental approach to the effects of fire on humic substances. Soil Sci 149(3):158–168

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asakawa D, Kiyota T, Yanagi Y, Fujitake N (2008) Optimization of condition for high-performance size-exclusion chromatography of different soil humic acid. Anal Sci 24:607–613

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birdwell JE, Engel AS (2010) Characterization of dissolved organic matter in cave and spring waters using UV–vis absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. Org Geochem 41:270–280

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Certini G (2005) Effect of fire on properties of forest soil: a review. Oecologia 143:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coble PG (1996) Characterization of marine and terrestrial DOM in seawater using excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy. Mar Chem 51:325–346

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conte P, Piccolo A (1999) High pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) of humic substances: molecular sizes, analytical parameters, and column performance. Chemosphere 38(3):517–528

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • De la Rosa JM, Gonzalez-Perez JA, Gonzalez-Vazquez R, Knicker H, Lopez-Capel E, Manning DAC, Gonzalez-Vila FJ (2008) Use of pyrolysis/GC-MS combined with thermal analysis to monitor C and N changes in soil organic matter from a Mediterranean fire affected forest. Catena 74:296–303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez I, Cabaneiro A, Carballas A (1997) Organic matter changes immediately after a wildfire in an Atlantic forest soil and comparison with laboratory soil heating. Soil Biol Biochem 29(1):1–11

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fong SS, Mohamed M (2007) Chemical characterization of humic substances occurring in the peats of Sarawak, Malaysia. Org Geochem 38:967–976

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francioso O, Montecchio D, Gioacchini CC (2005) Thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and isotopic characterization (13C-15N) of humic acids from different origins. Appl Geochem 20:537–544

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francioso O, Montecchio D, Gioacchini P, Cavani L, Ciavatta C, Trubetskoj O, Trubetskaya O (2009) Structural differences of Chernozem soil humic acids SEC-PAGE fractions revealed by thermal (TG-DTA) and spectroscopic (DRIFT) analyses. Geoderma 152:264–268

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujitake N, Kodama H, Nagao S, Tsuda K and Yonebayashi K (2009) Chemical properties of aquatic fulvic acids isolated from Lake Biwa, a clear water system in Japan. Humic Substances Research vol.5/6

  • Fukushima M, Yamamoto M, Komai T, Yamamoto K (2009) Studies of structural alterations of humic acids from conifer bark residue during composting by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH-py-GC/MS). J Anal Appl Pyrolysis 86:200–206

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fukushima M, Furubayashi K, Fujisawa N, Takeuchi M, Komai T, Otsuka K, Yamamoto M, Kawabe Y, Horiya S (2011) Characterization of humic acid in sediments from dam reservoirs by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using tetramethylammonium hydroxide: Influence of the structural features of humic acid on iron (II) binding capacity. J Anal Appl Pyrolysis 91:323–331

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaffney JS, Nancy AM, Sue BC (1996) Humic and fulvic acids and organic colloidal material in the environment. In: Gaffney JS, Marley NA, Clark SB (eds) Humic and fulvic acids; isolation, structure and environmental role. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzales-Perez JA, Gonzalez-Vila FJ, Almendros G, Knicker H (2004) The effect of fire on soil organic matter—a review. Environ Int 30:855–870

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzales-Perez JA, Gonzalez-Vila FJ, Gonzalez-Vazquez R, Arias ME, Rodriguez J, Knicker H (2008) Use of multiple biogeochemical parameters to monitor the recovery of soil after fires. Org Geochem 39:940–944

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzales-Vila FJ, Ludemann HD, Martin F (1982) 13C-NMR structural features if soil humic acids and their methylated, hydrolyzed and extracted derivates. Geoderma 31:3–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaenicke J, Rieley JO, Mott C, Kimman P, Siegert F (2008) Determination of the amount of carbon stored in Indonesian peatlands. Geoderma 147:151–158

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu XQ, Hanna JV, Johnson WD (2001) Evidence of chemical pathways of humification: a study of aquatic humic substances heated at various temperatures. Chem Geol 177:249–264

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcos E, Tarrega R, Luis E (2007) Changes in humic cambisol heated (100–500 °C) under laboratory condition: the significance of heating time. Geoderma 138:237–243

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthew BJH, Jones AC, Theodorou NK, Tudhope AW (1996) Excitation-emission-matrix fluorescence spectroscopy applied to humic bands coral reefs. Mar Chem 55:317–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKnight DM, Boyer EW, Westerhoff PK, Doran PT, Kule T, Andersen DT (2001) Spectrofluorometric characterization of dissolved organic matter for indication of precursor organic material and aromaticity. Limnol Oceanography 46:38–48

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Page S, Wust R, Banks C (2010) Past and present carbon accumulation and loss in Southeast Asian peatlands. PAGES News 18(1):25–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Picolo A (2001) The supramolecular structure of humic substances. Soil Sci 166(11):810–832

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pietikainen J, Hiukka R, Fritze H (2000) Does short-term heating of forest humus change its properties as a substrate for microbes? Soil Biol Biochem 32:277–288

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prieto-Fernandez A, Carballas M, Carballas T (2004) Inorganic and organic N pools in soils burned or heated: immediate alterations and evolution after forest wildfires. Geoderma 121:291–306

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richard C, Trubetskaya O, Trubetskoj O, Reznikova O, Afanas’eva G, Aguer JP, Guyot G (2004) Key role of the low molecular size fraction of soil humic acids for fluorescence and photoinductive activity. Environ Sci Technol 38:2052–2057

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sazawa K, Tachi M, Wakimoto T, Kawakami T, Hata N, Taguchi S, Kuramitz H (2011) The evaluation for alteration od DOM component from upstream to downstream flow of rivers in Toyama (Japan) using three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy. Int J Environ Res Public Health 8:1655–1670

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sazawa K, Wakimoto T, Hata N, Taguchi S, Tanaka S, Tafu M, Kuramitz H (2013) The evaluation of forest fire severity and effect on soil organic matter based on the L*, a*, b* color reading system. Anal Methods 5:2660–2665

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzer M, Hoffman I (1965) Thermogravimetry of soil humic compounds. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 29:859–870

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzer M, Khan SU (1972) Humic substances in the environment. Marcel Dekker, USA, p 323

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegert F, Boehm HDV, Rieley JO, Page SE, Jauhiainen J, Vasander H, Jaya A (2001) Peat fires in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia: Fire impacts and carbon release. Proceeding of International Symposium on Tropical Peatland, 22–23 August 2001, Jakarta, Indonesia

  • Siegert F, Zhukov B, Oertel D, Limin S, Page SE, Rieley JO (2004) Peat fires detected by the BIRD satellite. Int J Remote Sens 25(16):3221–3230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson FJ (1994) Humus chemistry: genesis, composition, reaction, 2nd edn. Wiley, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan KH (2003) Humic matter in soil and environment. Principles and controversies. Marcel Dekker, USA, p 292

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka F, Fukushima M, Kikuchi A, Yabuta H, Ichikawa H, Tatsumi K (2005) Influence of chemical characteristics of humic substances on the partition coefficient of a chlorinated dioxin. Chemosphere 58:1319–1326

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Krevelen DW (1950) Graphical-statistical method for the study of structure and reaction processes of coal. Fuel 20:269–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Vergnoux A, Guliano M, Di Rocco R, Domeizel M, Theraulaz F, Doumenq P (2011) Quantitative and mid-infrared changes of humic substances from burned soils. Environ Res 111:205–2014

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yonebayashi K, Hattori T (1998) Chemical and biological studies on environmental humic acids: I. Composition of elemental and functional groups of humic acid. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 34(4):571–584

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yulianti N, Hayasaka H, Usup A (2012) Recent forest and peat fire trends in Indonesia, the latest decade by MODIS Hotspot data. Global Environ Res 16:105–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Q, Cabaniss SE, Maurice PA (2000) Considerations in the use of high-pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) for determining molecular weight of aquatic humic substances. Water Res 34(14):3505–3514

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Ms. Miwa Kiuchi and Ms. Tomoko Hattori of the Center for Instrumental Analysis of Hokkaido University for their assistance with the elemental analyses, to Dr Masami Fukushima of Division of Sustainable resources Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University for his valuable advises in Pyrolysis-GC/MS analysis. This work was supported under the JST/JICA Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) Project Entitled “Wild Fire and Carbon Management in Peat-forest in Indonesia”.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Kita 10 Nishi 5, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan

    Yustiawati, Yusuke Kihara, Masaaki Kurasaki & Shunitz Tanaka

  2. Department of Environmental Biology and Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering for Research, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan

    Kazuto Sazawa & Hideki Kuramitz

  3. Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Kita 12 Nishi 5, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan

    Takeshi Saito

  4. Higher Education Research and Development Division, Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Kita 17 Nishi 6, Sapporo, 060-0817, Japan

    Toshiyuki Hosokawa

  5. Research Center for Limnology, Indonesian Institutes of Sciences, Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km.46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, Indonesia

    Yustiawati & M. Suhaemi Syawal

  6. Agriculture Faculty, University of Palangka Raya, Jl. Yos Sudarso, Palangka Raya, 73112, Indonesia

    Linda Wulandari &  Hendri I

Authors
  1. Yustiawati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yusuke Kihara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kazuto Sazawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hideki Kuramitz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Masaaki Kurasaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Takeshi Saito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Toshiyuki Hosokawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. M. Suhaemi Syawal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Linda Wulandari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Hendri I
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Shunitz Tanaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yustiawati.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(DOC 91 kb)

ESM 2

(DOCX 16 kb)

ESM 3

(DOC 39 kb)

ESM 4

(DOCX 14 kb)

ESM 5

(DOC 115 kb)

ESM 6

(DOCX 22 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yustiawati, Kihara, Y., Sazawa, K. et al. Effects of peat fires on the characteristics of humic acid extracted from peat soil in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 2384–2395 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-2929-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-2929-1

Keywords

  • Peat fires
  • Humic acid
  • Characterization
  • Elemental analysis
  • Molecular weight
  • Thermogravimetry
  • Pyrolysis-GC/MS