Maybe Emeric can chime in.
This will take many days and many pages.
Lat start with the Introduction to humic substances and applications.
THE PROBLEM
Researchers are often faced with insoluble problems when trying to join the sustainable development and environmental efforts along with globalization challenges.
The so called civilization diseases of human being (immune system problems, stress, allergy, obesity, acidity etc.) is caused mostly by micronutrient deficiencies.
THE APPROACH
Complexes of humic and fulvic acids and micronutrients give a natural solution to physical, mental and spiritual problems of people who try to satisfy the challenges of the technical civilization.
The medical and curative effects of humic substances have been known for thousands of years. Modern science develop and understand these molecules and call them frequently „natural antiviral molecules” or „alternative antibiotics
THE SOLUTION
High quality Fulvic Humic acid.
1.HUMIC SUBSTANCES IN NATURE
Humic substances are the biological-chemical-geological decomposition products of the living plant origin matter on the Earth. The biggest part of the terrestrial organic matter (biomass) are Humic Substances. Humus (soil-peat-coal) is the most relevant decomposition product of living matter so Humus is the most important media for the reproduction of the continental biomass.
The positive effects of Humic Substances in Medical and Agricultural applications related to their Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid content. Humic and Fulvic Acid molecules form a well-defined chemical structure and are the intermediate product of decay of the living matter.
The decomposition process of the terrestrial biomass can be divided into two parts that are Humification and Coal Formation. During Humification the so called Recent Humic Substances while during Coal Formation the Fossile Humic Substances are forming.
The precursor molecules of Humic Substances during humification are the ligneous plant residues which are transforming under chemical-biological aerob and anaerob oxidation-reduction processes.
The formation of humic acids in humification processes needs geological times, that is hundred thousands of years.
1.1. FORMATION OF HUMIC SUBSTANCES
The source of Humic Substances in Nature is basically the plant biomass. The geological decay end product of the plant biomass is the coal. While the mineral oil is the geological end product of the animals and low rank microbes and algae like organisms (lignin-free organisms).
Plants as raw materials:
Although there are tremendous different type of plants on the planet, nevertheless the number of chemical building blocks of the plant biomass is quite few. These building block groups behave chemically similarly during geological humification processes.
The plant biomass basically consist of the following molecule groups:
Proteins, Carbohydrates, Lipids, Cellulose, Lignins, Waxes-resins, Tannins, Minerals
The type of coal deposits depend of course on the following parameters:
a, composition of the original plant flora
b, circumstances of the deposit –overlaying-formation (type of soil and minerals)
c, physico-chemical parameters in the deposit-layer (preassure, temperature, time)
Humic Substances are forming and decay in Nature continuously. By definition we cannot find Humic Substances in living plants. I myself question that we can find Humic Substances in composts. There are similar decomposed organic matters “humic-like” matters but they have no real humic structure. Especially not having quinon and lacton groups.
1.1.1 HUMIFICATION
In the first step of decomposition of the organic matter a chemical-biological aerob-anaerob oxidation starts. In this phase the biomass is under water surface. In this dynamic balanced process the basic compounds of Humic Substances are forming from the aromatic compounds like lignins, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides etc. - and their derivatives. Other parts of the residues - proteins, cellulose, starch - leave the biomass as NH3, CO2, H2S, CH4, H2O. The hydrocarbon and protein compounds decompose quite fast during the Humification process and their derivatives bond weakly to Humic Substances.
The main precursor molecules of Humic Substances are the lignin compounds. It is important to state that “lignin” and “fulvic acid” is not the same! Lignin does not have any biological activity. The main functional groups are metoxy and few hydroxyl. Some producers sell lignosulphonates as fulvic acid so ruins the reputation of fulvic acid! There is big difference!
The natural waxes and resins cannot decompose and become part of the insoluble Humin matter. Further in the Humification pathway the aromatic (polyphenol) molecules transform to oxiquinon-hydroxi-carboxyl structures and undergo a polymerization and micella formation process.
In coal chemistry it is stated that formation of 1 meter coal needs minimum 10 meter of plant biomass.
The analysis of Humus compounds show different easily decomposing hydrocarbons, proteins and nitrogen containing molecules. It does not mean of course that all of them are Humic Substances. That is why it is so important to make difference between the terms HUMUS and HUMIC ACID.
Summarizing we can say that in the first phase of Humification the big molecules decompose into smaller so called building block molecules while in the second phase they reorganize to Humic Substances.
1.1.2.COAL FORMATION
When the biomass deposits are overlaid with inorganic-soil mineral layers than the coal formation is beginning. The temperature and pressure are increasing. Under this anaerobe condition the biological activity practically stops and dehydration (-H2O) decarboxylation (-COOH) and dehydrogenation (-H) processes are the main chemical reactions. The polymer molecules containing C-O-C bonds transform to
C-C aromatic (antracen) bonds.
During these transformations the carbon content of compounds changes as follows:
Wood 50% Peat: 55-60% Lignite: 65-70%
Black coal: 80-90% Antratcit: 80-98% DIAMOND: 100%
The Coal Formation process may turn back or may stop under exceptional geological conditions. This happens when the biomass deposits go up to the earth's surface or air and water move into the deposit layers (earth-quake etc.). These kind of deposits are reoxidized.
These reoxidized -conserved- layers can be considered the best quality raw materials for the production of Humic Acid based products. These oxidized (reoxidized) deposits are named as leonardite in the international literature (after professor Leonard, who was a geologist). At the same time it must be mentioned that there are only some leonardite deposits on the Planet. One of the best quality is in Hungary.
1.3. HUMIC ACID SOURCES IN NATURE
There are many sources of Humic Substances in Nature.
SOIL: The commonly known continuously renewing Humus source. The Humus content of the upper 20-30 cm soil layers are generally 1-5 %. But the Humic Acid content of the Humus is only 10-30%.
WATERS: Natural ground waters generally contain certain amount of Humic Substances especially Fulvic Acids. The yellowish brown color of waters are coming from Humic Substances dissolved from soil and other organic sources.
COMPOSTS A popular form of Humus production. The bio-humus and humus names of composts are misleading because the Humus content is not exceeding a good quality soil.
SAPROPELS Humic Acid containing organic matter on the bottom of some rivers and lakes as the decomposition product of plants and some microorganisms, planktons, algae in waters. Humic Acid content is about 10-20 %.
PEAT The first step of humification process in nature. Humic Acid content is about 10-50 %. As raw material has great importance related to some balneological applications - medical, thermal waters - where the medical effects are related mainly to their Humic Substance content. But we have to emphasise that peat as a raw material contains several pollutions having an open surface-for example birds, insects, air pollution, chemicals etc.
SHILAJIT (Mumio) Plant and algae origin biomass found in the mountains of inner-Asia. The Humic Acid content of these deposits can be 40-60%. Shilajit is not a sterile source sometimes contaminated with environmental pollution and contains several non-humic waxes and resins.
LIGNITE, BROWN COAL In the normal coal formation process lignites contain 20-40% Humic Acids while brown coals contain 10-30 % Humic Acid. The extraction of Humic Substances from these deposits is not economical.
LEONARDITE Under certain exceptional geological conditions Humic Acids may be conserved in highly oxidized form. The Humic Acid content of these Leonardite deposits can be 50-80%. These are the economically extractable Humic Acid sources.
1.4. REGULARLY USED PHRASES RELATED TO HUMIC SUBSTANCES
The international literature uses several phrases related to humus and organic matter and humic acids. These terms are not always used consequently. Here I try define the most frequently used terms:
HUMUS: The collecting name of organic matter in soil containing humic acids and non humified organic residues.
HUMIC SUBSTANCES: Collecting name of humic acid, fulvic acid, himatomelanic acid and humin matter. Completely humified organic matter. Soluble in alkaline (Na+, K+, NH4+) solutions.
HUMIC ACIDS (plural): Collecting name of humic acid and fulvic acid. Alkaline extractable fraction of Humic Substances.
HUMIC ACID (single) The fraction of Humic Substances that is alkaline soluble but insoluble in acids. This fraction is soluble in the pH range of 7-14.
FULVIC ACID: The smallest molecular weight fraction of Humic Substances. Soluble in alkaline and also in acidic solutions (pH=2-14)
HIMATOMELANIC ACID: This fraction of Humic Substances is soluble in alcohol and glycerine.
HUMATES: Different salts (Fe-humate or K-humate etc.) of Humic Acids
FULVATES: Different salts (Zn-fulvate or Na-fulvate etc.) of Fulvic Acids
HUMIN: Overhumified fraction of Humic Substances. This fraction is not soluble even in strong alkaline liquids.
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