Advances in Molecular and Microscale Characterization of Soil Organic Matter: Current Limitations and Future Prospects.
Jitao LvZaoquan HuangLei LuoShuzhen ZhangYawei WangPublished in: Environmental science & technology (2022)
Soil organic matter (SOM) comprises a continuum of organic materials from granular organic debris to small organic molecules and contains more organic carbon than global vegetation and the atmosphere combined. It has remarkable effects on soil ecological functions and the global carbon cycle as well as the fate of pollutants in the terrestrial ecosystem. Therefore, characterization of SOM is an important topic in soil science, ecology, and environmental science. Chemical complexity and spatial heterogeneity are by far the two biggest challenges to our understanding of SOM. Recent developments in analytical techniques and methods provide the opportunity to reveal SOM composition at the molecular level and to observe its distribution in soils at micro- and nanoscales, which have greatly improved our understanding of SOM. This paper reviews the outstanding advances in SOM characterization regarding these two issues from target and nontarget analyses comprising molecular marker analysis, ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry analysis, and in situ microscopic imaging techniques such as synchrotron-based spectromicroscopy, nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry, and emerging electron and optical microscopic imaging techniques. However, current techniques and methods remain far from unlocking the unknown properties of SOM. We systematically point out the limitations of the current technologies and outline the future prospects for comprehensive characterization of SOM at the molecular level and micro- and nanoscales, paying particular attention to issues of environmental concern.
Keyphrases
- organic matter
- high resolution
- mass spectrometry
- human health
- current status
- climate change
- liquid chromatography
- public health
- single molecule
- single cell
- heavy metals
- randomized controlled trial
- plant growth
- high performance liquid chromatography
- genome wide
- gene expression
- working memory
- atomic force microscopy
- systematic review
- photodynamic therapy
- ms ms
- high speed
- fluorescence imaging