Standard and Reference Samples of Humic Acids, Fulvic Acids, and Natural Organic Matter from the Suwannee River, Georgia: Thirty Years of Isolation and Characterization

Abstract

On three occasions since the late 1982, representatives of International Humic Substance Society (IHSS) have isolated standard and reference fulvic acids, humic acids, and natural organic matter (NOM) from the Suwannee River in southeastern Georgia, USA, on the southwestern boundary of the Okefenokee Swamp. Another IHSS expedition to the Suwannee River is planned in May 2012, and results from this new sampling expedition will be included in this presentation. The field and laboratory work involved in isolation of these samples will be described, along with photographic documentation of the sampling location, the methods of isolation, the personnel, etc. Chemical characteristics of the seven currently existing samples will be compared, and the impact of these samples on IHSS and on the wider scientific community will be documented.