Radiation-chemical transformations of humic acid in aqueous solutions

The transformations of kinetically stable aqueous humic acid solutions saturated with Ar, N2O, or air by the action of fast electrons at absorbed doses to 20 kGy were studied. In radiolytic and postradiation processes, humic acid was converted into insoluble compounds, whose precipitation accelerated with dose. The formation of insoluble compounds was enhanced in neutral and acidified solutions saturated with air and/or N2O. As low-molecular-mass carboxylic acids that resulted from the radiolytic fragmentation of humic acid were accumulated in solution, the phase transformation weakened. The irradiated solutions were easy to purify by chemical coagulation.