Composition of humic substances and their role in electron transfer in wet areas of the São Paulo Peripheral Depression

• Grant number: 21/06332-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: November 01, 2022
• End date: February 19, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Vania Silvia Rosolen
• Grantee: Karen Luko Sulato
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas (IGCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/16835-6 - A comprehensive study on composition, biomarkers, and environmental impact of humic substances from permanent and seasonal tropical wetlands, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Natural wetlands play an important role in global carbon dynamics and have been identified as relevant biogenic sources of greenhouse gases (GHG). Wetlands are threatened by changes in the hydrological cycle and by increased nutrient input, caused by urbanization processes and climate change. Furthermore, the use of fertilizers can reduce the variability of the chemical composition of humic substances in wet areas. The role of humic substances as alternative electron acceptors in wetlands in the degradation of organic matter under methanogenic conditions is fundamental for understanding how changes in the surrounding environments and how climate change may impact the biogechemical carbon cycle and the production of GHG in these areas. The aim of this project is to evaluate the influence of the composition of humic substances (functional groups) and the possible interference of other redox-active compounds on electron transfer and the CO2:CH4 production in wetlands. It is also expected the assessment of the variation in the composition of humic substances resulting from changes in the surrounding environment and its impact on the carbon cycle in these areas.