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Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
Published on: January 7, 2019
The use of solid-phase fluorescence spectroscopy in the characterisation of organic matter transformations
R Albrecht1, E Verrecchia2, H-R Pfeifer2
1Institut des Sciences de la Terre, Université de Lausanne, Géopolis, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 2, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland; Research Unit Community Ecology, WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Site Lausanne, Station 2, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Given its high sensitivity and non-destructive nature, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy is widely used to differentiate changes and transformations of dissolved or water-extracted organic matter (OM) in natural environments. The same technique applied directly on solid samples (solid-phase fluorescence spectroscopy, SPF-EEM) provides accurate results when used with pharmaceutical products or food samples, but only a few studies have considered natural OM. This study reports on the use of SPF-EEM on solid compost samples and emphasises the way the different maturation phases can be distinguished with fluorophores closely resembling those found in dissolved samples. A very good correlation has been found with data from Rock-Eval pyrolysis, nuclear magnetic resonance ((13)C CPMAS NMR), and humic-fulvic acid ratios determined by conventional NaOH-extraction. SPF-EEM appears as a much simpler method than the conventional ones to detect transformations in natural OM samples with low mineral contents. However, direct application to soil samples requires some additional studies.
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