Statistical relationship between selected physicochemical properties of peaty-muck soils and their fraction of humic acids

Influence of humic acids on soil environment is still subject of scientific discussions. The aim of above studies was to investigate the relationships between selected physicochemical properties of eleven peaty-muck soils and properties of humic acids isolated from these soils. The following parameters were determined for soils: total and organic carbon, density, ash, humifi- cation, and the water absorption index. Humic acids were described by: absorbance at 280 nm, absorbance ratios at 465 and 665 nm, at 260 and 665 nm, elemental composition and atomic ratios: H/C, O/H, O/C, C/N, the degree of internal oxidation, and the content of carboxylic and phenolic groups. Statistical analyses showed that an increase in density, humification, and water absorption indices of soils caused a significant increase in the humic acid parameters: absorbance at 280 nm, the oxygen content, O/H, O/C ratios, inter- nal oxidation degree, and functional groups. Statistically signifi- cant negative correlations were found for the same parameters of soils and for the hydrogen and carbon content as well as the H/C ratio of humic acids. The relationships showed that there was a pos- sibility to express the properties of humic acids on the basis of more simple parameters measured for soil and without time-consuming isolation of humic acids