Rapid quantification of humic and fulvic acids by HPLC in natural waters

摘要

A simple method based on high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) has been developed for rapid quantification of humic and fulvic acids (HA and FA) in stream waters. A Tsk-gel column was used to separate natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) into two components: peak A and B. In terms of HPSEC chromatograms and fluorescence patterns, peak A and B were similar to the corresponding XAD-extracted HA and FA, respectively. It is suggested that peak A fraction mainly consisted of HA, and peak B fraction FA. The similar separation of HA and FA using HPSEC and a conventional XAD method suggests the consistency of molecular size distribution and physical-chemical properties of DOM. HPSEC offers a simple and rapid method for the quantification of HA and FA instead of tedious extractions of humic substances. Analyses of natural water samples show that the calculation of HA/FA based on UV absorbance was under- or over-estimated, the calibration using the extracted HS allows a more accurate quantification. The fast screening of HA and FA provides useful quantitative and qualitative information that can be used in environmental or monitoring studies. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.