Fractionation of fulvic acids: Characteristics and complexation with copper

Two fulvic acid samples isolated from Suwannee river (International Humic Substance Society) and Feeitsuey reservoir were subjected to gel filtration chromatography (GFC) for molecular size fractionation. The GFC-eluted samples were separated into three groups corresponding to the molecular weight ranges: < 220, 220–1000, and 1000–4000. Fluorescence quenching techniques were employed for determining the conditional stability coefficient and kinetic parameters of copper complexation with the three fractions of fulvic acids. Experimental conditions were pH 6, 5 × 10−5 total copper and 5 mg C litre−1 of fulvic acids. The conditional stability coefficients of the fulvic acid fractions were in the order of 0•9–3•3 × 105 −1, and the forward and reverse rate constants were in the order of 6•9–12•4 × 103 −1 s−1 and 3•5–8•0 × 10−2 s−1. Information could be useful in modelling copper transport in the hydrosphere.