Humic acid contains about 50% carbon and 40% oxygen. Other compositions include hydrogen (5%), nitrogen (3%), phosphorus, and sulfur (both at 1%). Humic acid is a very complex amalgamation of closely related macromolecules and is developed in the process of decomposition of organic life.
When chelating the positively charged multivalent ions, humic acid leads to the uptake of these ions due to specific mechanisms, one of which includes preventing them from leaching through the soil. It can be used for soil improvement and detoxification as well as health benefits. Humic acid detoxifies any soil of excessive, heavy metals. Extensive research has proved that these heavy metals can be locked up with the use of humic acid.
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Humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) exist ubiquitously in aquatic environments and have a variety of functional groups which allow them to complex with metal ions and interact with nanomaterials. These interactions can not only alter the environmental behavior of nanomaterials, but also influence the removal and transportation of heavy metals by nanomaterials.
