The primary structure of humic acid (HA) can not be ascertained without pure standards. Common "contaminants" of HA include carbohydrates; thus, complete removal of polysaccharide (PS) is necessary for reliable composition and spectral measurements. This work describes a spectroscopic method to estimate (within 5%) the PS content of humic acid samples from a variety of sources. NMR and UV spectroscopies are used independently to assess the PS content. The results of the two methods are consistent within experimental limits; thus, the method is valuable for PS impurity measurements. The results are compared with more qualitative IR studies on PS-free, compost-derived HA.
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