Chemical mechanisms of iron mineral-facilitated humification and their potential toward carbon-negative emissions

SUN Shuhui; XU Xikai; XU Mengyao; DENG Hang; WANG Hualin; YANG Xuejing

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202508020

Volume 43 Issue 8

Aug. 2025

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Article Navigation > ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING > 2025 > 43(8): 214-225

SUN Shuhui, XU Xikai, XU Mengyao, DENG Hang, WANG Hualin, YANG Xuejing. Chemical mechanisms of iron mineral-facilitated humification and their potential toward carbon-negative emissions[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2025, 43(8): 214-225. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202508020

Citation:

SUN Shuhui, XU Xikai, XU Mengyao, DENG Hang, WANG Hualin, YANG Xuejing. Chemical mechanisms of iron mineral-facilitated humification and their potential toward carbon-negative emissions[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2025, 43(8): 214-225. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202508020

Citation:

SUN Shuhui, XU Xikai, XU Mengyao, DENG Hang, WANG Hualin, YANG Xuejing. Chemical mechanisms of iron mineral-facilitated humification and their potential toward carbon-negative emissions[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2025, 43(8): 214-225. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202508020

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Chemical mechanisms of iron mineral-facilitated humification and their potential toward carbon-negative emissions

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202508020

1. National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China;
2. Department of Energy and Resources Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China

Received Date: 2025-04-08
Accepted Date: 2025-06-09
Rev Recd Date: 2025-05-29

Abstract

Abstract

With the intensification of global climate change， a series of carbon-negative emissions technologies have been proposed. However， existing technologies primarily focus on the primary fixation of CO₂. Humification， represented by coupling reactions， has long played a critical role in soil and sediment formation. Its ability to lock organic matter and pollutants holds potential as a core mechanism for carbon fixation and negative emissions by converting organic residues into stable humic substances， thereby influencing carbon storage and comprehensive climate effects. Iron minerals are pivotal in this process， interacting with organic carbon to promote humification and forming stable organo-mineral complexes that enhance long-term organic carbon sequestration. This review synthesizes the chemical mechanisms of iron mineral-facilitated humification and its impacts on carbon cycle， focusing on key reaction pathways such as the polyphenol pathway， Maillard reaction pathway， and the integrated polyphenol-Maillard pathway. The role of iron minerals in stabilizing soil organic carbon is also analyzed. Finally， the development of iron-mediated humification technologies for carbon-negative emissions is discussed， aiming to advance the application of coupling-enhanced humification in environmental remediation and carbon neutrality.
- humification,
- iron minerals,
- carbon cycle,
- soil organic carbon,
- carbon sequestration

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References(58)

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