A novel approach for determining soil carbohydrates using UV spectrophotometry

Abstract

Soil carbohydrates play a vital role in maintaining the health of soil and ensuring that ecosystems function properly. The method used in this study for measuring carbohydrate content in soil is quick, effective and easy. The investigation involved using three techniques to extract 45 soil samples of different soil texture; hot water, cool water and classical methods. The extracted samples were then analyzed for carbohydrates using two techniques; the widely accepted Phenol Sulfuric Acid method and the newly developed Sulfuric Acid UV method. The results revealed that the hot water extraction method consistently yielded higher levels of carbohydrates compared to the other methods. Interestingly the newly developed Sulfuric Acid UV method consistently produced similar results to those obtained from the well established Phenol Sulfuric Acid method. These results suggest that the novel Sulfuric Acid UV method, which relies on absorption in the ultraviolet region to analyze soil carbohydrate content is indeed a viable approach. This has allowed scientists and researchers to have an alternative means of determining soil carbohydrate levels.