Analytical chemistry of freshwater humic substances

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aquatic environments represents one of the largest active organic carbon reservoirs in the biosphere. Current ideologies concerning the sources of DOC, how it is formed and utilized, and what determines the quality of DOC are examined. Humic substances can comprise a significant fraction of the DOC and developments in methods of analysis including the isolation and characterization of this fraction are reviewed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.