Article
Environmental Sciences
Sriharan Raguraj, Susilawati Kasim, Noraini Md Jaafar, Muhamad Hazim Nazli, Rathnasekara Kuruppu Arachchige Amali
Summary: There is a growing demand for humic substances, but coal-related resources, from which humic substances are extracted, are in short supply. Consequently, there is an interest in producing humic-like substances from lignocellulosic waste materials. In this study, tea waste was used to extract humic fractions, including purified humic-like acid and unpurified humic and fulvic acids. Comparative analyses were performed between these tea waste derived humic-like substances (TWDHLS) and commercially available humic acid (CHA) extracted from lignite. The results showed slight differences in elemental composition and FTIR properties, while NMR results indicated similar carbon distribution. TWDHLS exhibited a more recalcitrant nature due to the presence of stable compounds. The biological activity of TWDHLS was found to be comparable to that of CHA. These findings suggest that TWDHLS could be a potential plant biostimulant and a better substitute for humic substances.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shengai Jin, Hongbin Ma, Long Jia, Xinwei Liu, Qaiser Hussain, Xiangyun Song, Liqiang Cui, Chengji Wang, Dejie Cui
Summary: Incorporating organic materials derived from plant biomass into soils can effectively increase soil organic carbon (SOC). This study found that both the form of organic materials and soil types had an impact on carbon sequestration. The carbon content of crop straws and biochar was mainly fixed in the form of humin in all soil types. Biochar increased SOC aryl C, while straw treatments increased phenolic C and O-alkyl C. There was a positive correlation between aromatic C and SOC concentration, and polyphenol oxidase activity significantly influenced the formation of O-alkyl C. The results suggest that both soil types and organic materials affect the humic substances and functional groups of SOC, with organic materials having a stronger influence on microbial activity than soil types.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alessandro Piccolo, Cesar Garcia-Diaz, Vincenza Cozzolino, Marios Drosos, Antonio Scopa, Massimiliano Valentini
Summary: An O-alkylation reaction using tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH) as a phase-transfer agent was employed to modify the hydrophobic properties of humic acid (HA). The carboxyl and hydroxyl functional groups of HA acted as nucleophiles in substitution reactions with alkyl halides. The findings indicate that the hydrophobicity of humic substances can be modulated through a mild O-alkylation reaction, and this structural modification may have various chemical, environmental, and biological applications.
Article
Agronomy
Evgeniya A. Karpukhina, Dmitry S. Volkov, Mikhail A. Proskurnin
Summary: The existing techniques for lignosulfonate in humate fertilizers lack selectivity and require labor- and time-consuming sample preparation. This study developed a procedure based on ATR FTIR spectroscopy with simple sample preparation for directly quantifying lignosulfonates in aqueous solutions. The technique shows potential for analyzing fertilizers of simple composition and quality control of pure humates used for plant growth.
Article
Plant Sciences
Qi Wang, Yingxue Zhu, Lianzhou Xu, Baiyang Chen, Chunzhu Liu, Xianfa Ma, Qingfeng Meng, Bing Liu, Zongwei Huang, Yusheng Jiao, Ye Yuan
Summary: Biochar addition has a positive effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) content and soil quality improvement. However, the mechanisms and structural changes of soil humic substances under different types of biochar addition are poorly understood. This study compared the effects of rice husk, corn stalk, and tobacco stalk biochar on humus composition and humic acid (HA) structure in Northeast China. Results showed that corn stalk biochar significantly increased the fulvic acid (FA) content and simplified the HA structure, while tobacco stalk biochar was superior in soil carbon sequestration.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tamiris Conceicao de Aguiar, Danielle Franca de Oliveira Torchia, Tadeu Augusto van Tol de Castro, Orlando Carlos Huertas Tavares, Samuel de Abreu Lopes, Lucas de Souza da Silva, Rosane Nora Castro, Ricardo Luiz Louro Berbara, Marcos Gervasio Pereira, Andres Calderin Garcia
Summary: This study evaluated the structural patterns of 80 humic acid samples from different soils using spectroscopic characterization and chemometric techniques. Despite their different sources, all samples had similar structural patterns, but different relative quantities of organic C species. The humification process depends on the characteristics of the soil and the local environment. The structural patterns justify the existence of humic substances with self-assembled, hydrophilic, and hydrophobic domains that can undergo transformations under certain conditions, altering the balance of organic carbon in the environment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Vyacheslav Polyakov, Alexey Lupachev, Stanislav Gubin, Evgeny Abakumov
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the genesis and alteration of soil organic matter under the influence of tidal processes in coastal permafrost-affected soils, as well as to obtain previously unknown characteristics of the structural and elemental composition of different fractions of organic matter. It was found that humic acids extracted from the studied marsh soils accumulated up to 50% C and 4% N, and active processes of dehydrogenation were noted in the humic acids molecules, indicating a relatively low degree of aliphatic structure development.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Quynh Nguyen-Phuong, Marie Ponthieu, Stephanie Sayen, Beatrice Marin, Emmanuel Guillon
Summary: This study focused on the adsorption behavior of copper(II) and lead(II) onto humin extracted from a peat soil, using the NICA-Donnan model and C-13 CP/MAS NMR to determine functional group proportions. The results showed that the NICA-Donnan model effectively described and predicted the binding of these metallic cations onto humin.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
J. I. Cervantes-Arista, J. E. Herbert-Pucheta, V. A. Suarez-Toriello, J. A. Toledo-Antonio, E. Lopez-Salinas
Summary: This work applies Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SS-NMR) to characterize the structural and motional aspects of petcoke and its derived humic-like products from alkaline wet oxidation. The results show that alkaline wet oxidation provides structural heterogeneity and flexibility, directly correlated with an increase in oxygen content, O/C ratio, reduction of aromatic stack layers, reduction of crystallite size and increase in C-O and O-H dipoles.
Article
Agronomy
Dmitry S. Volkov, Olga B. Rogova, Mikhail A. Proskurnin
Summary: This study explored the use of temperature-monitored IR spectroscopy to study the organic and mineral composition of humic substances. The analysis revealed characteristic bands and changes in band positions and intensities, allowing for a detailed understanding of the structure of humic substances.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Boris P. Yakimov, Anna A. Rubekina, Gleb S. Budylin, Alexander Y. Zherebker, Victor O. Kompanets, Sergey Chekalin, Yuri G. Vainer, Victor V. Fadeev, Maxim Y. Gorbunov, Irina Perminova, Evgeny A. Shirshin
Summary: The study utilized fluorescence spectroscopy to analyze the role of electronic interactions within DOM and HS, revealing an ultrafast decay component with characteristic decay lifetime of 0.5-1.5 ps and spectral diffusion from excitation energy transfer. The rate of EET was found to be positively correlated with the fraction of aromatic species and tightness of aromatic species packing. Reducing the number of EET donor-acceptor pairs resulted in a lower impact of the ultrafast component on fluorescence decay.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Christoph Kubis, Matthias Koenig, Benedict N. Leidecker, Detlef Selent, Henning Schroeder, Mathias Sawall, Wolfgang Baumann, Anke Spannenberg, Alexander Braecher, Klaus Neymeyr, Robert Franke, Armin Boerner
Summary: Results of a detailed study on a monophosphite-modified rhodium catalyst system using in situ IR and NMR spectroscopy are presented. Equilibria between active hydrido rhodium(I) complexes and inactive dinuclear rhodium(0) complexes, as well as mononuclear ortho-metalated rhodium(I) complexes, have been investigated. Dimer formation dominates at lower temperatures and higher rhodium concentrations, while ligand metalation is more effective at higher temperatures. Regeneration of hydrido rhodium(I) complexes occurs rapidly from both states at appropriate hydrogen partial pressures, and temporary stabilization of the catalyst through ligand metalation during recycling is a feasible approach.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hao Liu, Tuo Zhang, Yan'an Tong, Qihong Zhu, Daoyou Huang, Xibai Zeng
Summary: Humic substances and calcareous substances are important components in soil and can affect the mobility of metals. This study developed a new remediation scheme for cadmium-contaminated soil by coupling humic substances and calcareous substances. The results showed that this approach effectively reduced the bioavailable cadmium concentration in soil and decreased cadmium accumulation in rice tissues.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elena Antonova, Anastasia Hambikova, Denis Shcherbakov, Vitaly Sukhov, Sonya Vysochanskaya, Inna Fadeeva, Denis Gorshenin, Ekaterina Sidorova, Maria Kashutina, Alina Zhdanova, Oleg Mitrokhin, Nadezhda Avvakumova, Yury Zhernov
Summary: This study identified potential microRNA biomarkers for diagnosing melanoma and tested their diagnostic efficacy in patients and healthy control groups. It also explored significant microRNA markers in a human melanoma cell line that can be used as markers of drug anti-melanoma activity. Additionally, this study found that humic substances and chitosan have anti-melanoma activity and can reduce the level of marker microRNAs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rabia Zafar, Truong Hai Bang, Yun Kyung Lee, Most Shirina Begum, Iqra Rabani, Seongjin Hong, Jin Hur
Summary: In this study, the effects of abiotic and biotic aging processes on the adsorption behavior of aquatic humic substances (HS) on polyethylene (PE) microplastics (MPs) were explored. Results showed that aging treatments led to surface modifications on PE MPs, increased HS adsorption, with highest kinetic rate for UV-aged PE, and enhanced adsorption tendency attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonds.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Renata Jarosz, Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek, Krzysztof Gondek, Michal Kopec, Tomas Losak, Lidia Marcinska-Mazur
Summary: The changes in quantitative and qualitative humus parameters in loamy sand with the addition of poultry litter (PL) and poultry litter biochar (PLB) were estimated over a 5-year study period. It was found that PL had a significant impact on the mineralization of organic matter and caused noticeable changes in humus compounds. On the other hand, PLB had a slower mineralization rate, especially at higher doses, and had a more favorable effect on the structure and mobility of humic acid carbon compared to PL.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Jiri Kudr, Petr Michalek, Lada Ilieva, Vojtech Adam, Ondrej Zitka
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a demand for improvement and development of diagnostic methods, with electrochemical biosensors showing promise as rapid, low-cost, and user-friendly tools. This critical review outlines the molecular properties of SARS-CoV-2 and discusses the advantages and drawbacks of conventional diagnostic methods while highlighting the potential of electrochemical biosensors. Future perspectives on viral electrochemical biosensor development are briefly mentioned.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Reinhard W. Neugschwandtner, Hans-Peter Kaul, Gerhard Moitzi, Agnieszka Klimek-Kopyra, Tomas Losak, Helmut Wagentristl
Summary: Research on oat-pea intercropping systems showed that under low nitrogen fertilization, increasing nitrogen fertilization for oat can improve above-ground dry matter and nitrogen yield of intercrops without affecting the performance of peas. Pure pea stands or intercrops with a high pea share can save nitrogen in the soil, with oat having a higher nitrogen fixation compared to peas.
ACTA AGRICULTURAE SCANDINAVICA SECTION B-SOIL AND PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Manuel David Peris-Diaz, Roman Guran, Carmen Domene, Vivian de los Rios, Ondrej Zitka, Vojtech Adam, Artur Krezel
Summary: Mammalian metallothioneins (MTs) are important cellular buffering systems, but their mode of action remains unclear. This study utilized various methods to unravel the binding mechanism of Zn(II) with MTs and highlighted the differences in binding affinities of different Zn(II) ions to MTs.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Tamas Hofmann, Roman Guran, Ondrej Zitka, Eszter Visi-Rajczi, Levente Albert
Summary: This research used high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) to study the structure and radial distribution of polyphenols in European beech wood and their role in red heartwood formation. The analysis identified 125 compounds, with 71 tentatively identified, including procyanidins, flavonoids, catechin, epicatechin, phenolic acids, and their derivatives. Many compounds were found to increase in concentration at the color boundary, indicating in situ polyphenol synthesis and metabolism. Contrary to previous assumptions, oxidized high-molecular-weight polymeric polyphenols were not found in red heartwood tissues. The study discusses the role of individual compounds in red heartwood chromophore formation.
Article
Agronomy
Katarzyna Wolny-Koladka, Renata Jarosz, Lidia Marcinska-Mazur, Tomas Losak, Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of different mineral-organic mixtures on soil microbial composition and chemical properties, finding that the application of these mixtures can enhance soil biological activity, increase microbial numbers, and diversity.
INTERNATIONAL AGROPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Vladimir Simansky, Elzbieta Wojcik-Gront, Jarmila Horvathova, Dorota Pikula, Tomas Losak, Agnieszka Parzych, Martin Lukac, Elena Aydin
Summary: This study aimed to assess the impact of NPK fertilizers on SOM, HS, and soil structure in a productive vineyard with grass sward cover, and identify the relationships among them. The results showed that NPK application had an impact on soil quality and structure, and this impact decreased with increasing levels of NPK.
Article
Agronomy
Magdalena Tomaszewska-Sowa, Norbert Keutgen, Tomas Losak, Anna Figas, Anna J. Keutgen
Summary: The study investigated the interaction between Nicotiana tabacum and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000 at a low inoculation level. It was found that the inoculated leaves showed improved efficiency in photosystem II compared to the control leaves. This was accompanied by a reduction in energy absorption and an increase in the fraction of open reaction centers, which suggests an acclimation mechanism to limit over-excitation and reduce heat dissipation. These findings indicate the adaptive response of N. tabacum to Pto DC3000 infection, potentially reducing the risk of hypersensitive response.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martin Meszaros, Hana Hnatkova, Patrik Conka, Tomas Losak, Jan Namestek
Summary: The study analyzed the production, nutrition, bearing, and branching behaviors of young apple trees, focusing on their aboveground biomass, flower formation, and nitrogen supply. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for the growth and development of fruit trees, especially in flower bud formation. The results showed that different cultivars had different biomass production patterns, but similar growth responses to nitrogen supply. 'Rubinola' showed similar branching patterns but higher vigor than 'Topaz'. 'Rubinola' produced more long shoots with lower quality short shoots, resulting in fewer terminal flowers and more lateral flowers dominantly in the distal zone. 'Topaz', on the other hand, had intensive terminal flowering with more abundant lateral flowers in the median zone. Even a lower dose of spring nitrogen improved flower bud formation and extended the flowering zone on one-year-old shoots. This finding is important for optimizing fertilization management of apple trees, but the effect is also regulated by mechanisms related to apical dominance.
Article
Agronomy
Reinhard W. Neugschwandtner, Georg Dobos, Helmut Wagentristl, Tomas Losak, Agnieszka Klimek-Kopyra, Hans-Peter Kaul
Summary: A two-year field experiment in Eastern Austria found that the optimal sowing date for winter poppy under Pannonian climate conditions in Central Europe is early October, but sowing can be performed over a wider range of dates. Winter poppy had higher seed yields compared to spring poppy, mainly due to a higher number of seeds capsule. The sowing rate for winter poppy can be much lower than the recommended sowing rate for spring poppy.
Article
Soil Science
Lubos Sedlak, Soham Basu, Lubica Pospisilova, Alois Prax, Jiri Kulhavy, Jakub Prudil, Hana Hornova, Timas Vichta
Summary: Land use changes and riverbed regulations have impacted the ecosystem of flood plain forests, but subsequent revitalization measures and integrated planning have helped mitigate the negative effects. This study examines the dynamic changes in groundwater level, soil properties, and forest vitality under the influence of climate change. Continual monitoring and evaluation reveal that uneven rainfall distribution and rising temperatures have significantly affected the soil hydrological regime and forest growth.
SOIL AND WATER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katarzyna Wolny-Koladka, Lidia Marcinska-Mazur, Renata Jarosz, Michal Juda, Tomas Losak, Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek
Summary: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of mineral-organic mixtures on the abundance of soil microorganisms. The results showed that the abundance of microorganisms was influenced by fertilisation and the type of plant. The highest abundance of microorganisms was found in treatments with lignite mixtures for oilseed rape, and with leonardite mixtures for wheat. Increasing the percentage of lignite and leonardite in the fertiliser mixtures did not result in a proportional increase in microorganism abundance, indicating no economic justification for such treatment. The mixtures used, with their alkaline pH, can serve as substitutes for calcium fertilisers to improve soil properties and protect soil organic matter from degradation.
ECOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY AND ENGINEERING S-CHEMIA I INZYNIERIA EKOLOGICZNA S
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Marko Petek, Ivan Petkovic, Sanja Fabek Uher, Mihaela Satvar Vrbancic, Tomas Losak, Vjekoslav Tanaskovic, Tomislav Karazija
Summary: The world vegetable market is becoming more open to new cuisines and products, including the broccoflower. However, the fast-paced lifestyle and reliance on fast food have led to nutritional disorders, such as iron, zinc, and manganese deficiency. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of foliar fertilization on the microelement content of broccoflower blooms. The results showed that broccoflower is rich in iron, zinc, and manganese, which is beneficial for its breakthrough in the conservative domestic vegetable market.
SCIENTIFIC PAPERS-SERIES B-HORTICULTURE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jan Zitka, Jan Sileny, Jiri Kudr, Zuzana Koudelkova, Lada Ilieva, Lukas Richtera, Tomas Syrovy, Vojtech Adam, Ondrej Zitka
Summary: This study introduces a novel benchtop system for processing electrochemical methods on SPE platforms, which prevents operator errors, achieves automatic processing of over 300 electrodes per day, and enables comparative testing with two simultaneous working channels.
ANALYTICAL METHODS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Tomas Do, Roman Guran, Vojtech Adam, Ondrej Zitka
Summary: The coronavirus pandemic has had a direct or indirect impact on individuals worldwide, making the need for rapid and accurate diagnosis and isolation of infected individuals crucial. While reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is currently the main method for detecting SARS-CoV-2, alternative methods are being investigated due to time, cost, and reagent shortages. This review focuses on the potential use of matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionisation with time-of-flight analyser mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) as a diagnostic tool for viruses, with a particular emphasis on SARS-CoV-2.
