Geochemical Journal, Vol. 7, pp. 167 to 177, 1973

Interactions of ferric and ferrous irons andorganic matter in water environment

TOSHIKO AKIYAMA

Department of Chemistry, Tokyo MetropolitanUniversity, Setagaya, Tokyo 158, Japan

(Received March 13, 1972; in revised form July 2, 1973)

Abstract -Coprecipitation of organic matter with ferric and ferrous hydroxide, andiron holding in solution containing organic matter were experimentally studied. Thedissolved organic matter from bacterial degradation of green algae was used. The resultsof the experiments showed that ferrous iron, as well as ferric iron, coprecipitate organicmatter under reduced conditions, and that ferric and ferrous irons selectively co-precipitate proteinous materials. On the contrary, pigment and lipid materials are rarelycoprecipitated, and hold ferric iron in dissolved form probably by forming water solubleiron-organic complexes.

These results show the significance of the interaction of organic matter and ironin the cycle of them in the hydrosphere.