In message , Franz Heymann
writes

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
. com...
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...
"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
[...]
There are more cunning ways to measure humic acids.

I don't doubt that. By the way, I don't like the catch-all term
"humic acids".

Well, now that we've disposed of the undoubted scam, in particular
applications catch-all terms may have their uses. For example, the
concentration of acidic humic compounds

Yes, but what are "humic compounds"?

I can't tell here if you are being serious or have a genuine
misunderstanding. It is in fact quite useful to categorise chemicals by
their generic properties rather than give very long names for each and
every compound in a naturally occurring and usually highly complex
mixture. Not least because of all the specific stereo chemistry of
natural materials.

quote/humic acid

1. n. [Drilling Fluids] ID: 1986

Organic carboxylic acids of complex molecular structure (aromatic
and
phenolic) that comprise 10 to 90% of lignite.

At least there we have an attempt at a definition, even if the
definition is a catch-all sentence.

The definition is simple enough. They are the acids that you get when
plant material like humus decays in peat and lignite. You can smell some
of their short chained aliphatic relatives in grass fermenting on the
compost heap.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown