Comparative IR spectral characteristics of humic acids from peats of different origin in the Tomsk area

Results obtained from comparative studies of the structures of humic acids from peats of different origins in the Tomsk area by infrared spectroscopy are presented. These data showed that the IR spectra of humic acids extracted from different types of peat had high levels of similarity, demonstrating similarities in their chemical structures. Humic acid from lowland woody-grassy peat had very significant differences from other types of peat and consisted of compounds with high proportions of aliphatic fragments and, perhaps, lower benzenoid levels, as well as higher contents of active acid groups (carboxyl, hydroxyl).