KINETICS OF ALUMINUM-FULVIC ACID COMPLEXATION IN ACIDIC WATERS.

A fluorescence technique has been used to study the complex formation kinetics of aluminum with a single metal-free fulvic acid isolated from an Adirondack Mountain forest soil. In the pH range of 3. 0-4. 5, two kinetically distinguishable components of the fulvic acid mixture have been identified, which define two types of average aluminum binding sites. Both fulvic acid average sites conform to a bidentate chelating binding site kinetic analysis, from which rate and equilibrium parameters have been obtained. From comparison of rate and equilibrium constants of aluminum-salicyclic acid complexation, we conclude that the faster reacting component of fulvic acid probably contains salicylic acid type aluminum binding sites. Additional study results are discussed.