BOOK OF ABSTRACTS 61 IHSS&IWA26 / BRNO / CZECHIA / 23–28 August 2026 Tuesday, 25 August 2026 / Hall B+C Technologies and Applications SL24 Designing Artificial Humates for Environmental Remediation Alexander Volikov Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam Science Park, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam, Germany, alexander.volikov@mpikg.mpg.de Soil organic carbon plays a fundamental role in ecosystem stability and climate regulation. While traditional views emphasized the intrinsic molecular stability of humic substances, modern concepts suggest that carbon persistence is a result of functional complexity within the soil– microbe–mineral matrix. This research focuses on the development of Artificial Humic Substances (AHS) as engineered analogues of natural humic matter. These substances exemplify this modern paradigm, as their polydisperse nature – encompassing a broad spectrum of molecular weights and diverse chemical functionalities – effectively simulates the structural heterogeneity required for long-term stabilization. By precisely controlling the synthesis process, we aim to create functional materials capable of addressing soil degradation, nutrient deficiency, and carbon sequestration. AHS are produced via alkaline hydrothermal humification (HTH), shifting from traditional acidic HTC to a basic environment. Biomass precursors (bark, leaves, corn stover, nut shells) are treated with KOH at 180–220°C for 2–16 hours. Under these conditions, KOH catalyzes retro-aldol cleavage of carbohydrates and lignin depolymerization, forming a water-soluble matrix. As confirmed by NMR and FTIR, the resulting AHS are rich in phenolic, carboxyl, and quinone groups, successfully mimicking the redox-active and complexing behavior of natural humates. The high density of functional groups enables AHS to serve as effective agents in various environmental technologies: ◼ Pollutant Adsorption: AHS demonstrated significant adsorption capacities for emerging contaminants, including tetracycline (65.8 mg/g), sulfamethoxazole (10.7 mg/g), and atrazine (10.8 mg/g). The mechanism is driven by hydrogen bonding, π- π interactions, and electrostatic attraction. ◼ Micronutrient Carriers: AHS were utilized as sustainable carriers for manganese (Mn) to develop biobased microfertilizers. Manganese binds primarily to the highmolecular-weight fractions of AHS in a bioavailable Mn(II) form. Plant growth trials (cucumber) showed an increase in manganese uptake by up to 64 mg/kg in dry biomass without compromising the structural integrity of the organic carrier.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDA4Mjc=