Influences of humic acids on the dissimilatory iron reduction of red soil in anaerobic condition

: Iron oxide is abundant in red soil. Reduction and oxidation of iron oxide are important biogeochemical processes. In this paper, we reported the effects of humic acid on dissimilatory iron reduction (DISSIR) in red soil by adding glucose or humic acid (HA), under an anaerobic condition. Results indicated that DISSIR is weak for the red soil with a low content of organic matter, Glucose that act as electron donators promoted the process of DISSIR in red soil. HA added to soil solely didn't accelerate the DISSIR since it couldn't provide electron donators to microbe. However, adding of both glucose and HA promoted the DISSIR at the beginning of the incubation but then inhibited the process, which maybe caused by the effects of precipitation and adsorption of red soil. Concentrations of HA strongly affected the DISSIR, HA at low concentrations(0.20 and 0.02 g/kg) had weak effects, while HA at a high concentration (2.00 g/kg) promoted the process at the beginning and then inhibited it. HA extracted from different materials had distinct effects on the DISSIR. HA from Weathering coal of Datong in Shanxi Province (HAs), lignite of Gongxian in Henan Province (HAh) and Dianchi Lake sediment in Kunming of Yunnan Province (HAk) all promoted the DISSIR at the beginning of the incubation. However, at the end of incubation, HAk with a low aromaticity still promoted the process, while HAs and HAh with a higher aromaticity weakened the DISSIR. This may be due to the increase in adsorption of soil with the aromaticity of HA.