Summary Infrared spectroscopy and chemical degradation indicated several fulvic acid fractions from an iron‐humus podzol capable of complexing and translocating metals. Acidic polysaccharides, some of them resembling pectic acid, were isolated in appreciable quantities. These are able to bind metals through carboxyl groups, but peptide components present in the polysaccharide fraction may provide alternative metal complexing centres. The high yield of acid‐extractable organic matter from the illuvial humus, together with its high content of carboxylic acid groups, make it likely that this fraction plays a major role in the translocation of metals. Phenolic compounds allegedly associated with this process were present in the fulvic acid solution in low amounts, and only in the extracts from the organic horizons.
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Anderson et al. (1977) studied this question.
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