Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, lignin content and carbohydrate composition of humic substances from salt marsh estuaries

13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, CuO oxidation products of lignin and hydrolyzable carbohydrates were measured for fulvic and humic acids extracted from living and dead Spartina alterniflora and salt marsh sediments. With these methods, there was little evidence for early diagenetic alteration of the humic materials. No trends consistent for fulvic and humic acids were observed for either hydrolyzable carbohydrates or lignin derived phenols, and chemical measurements of these fractions did not agree with spectral estimates. Humic acids appear to contain secondary amide linkages typical of proteins and peptides.