Changes in degraded peat land characteristic using FTIR-spectrocopy

Abstract

Degraded peatlands can be detected laboratory analysis and field appearance. Peatlands degradation is characterized by a very reduced water holding capacity which is caused by peat fire or over drain. The capacity of peat to hold water is closely related to their functional groups. Analysis using Fourier Tansform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrocopy enable to determine the functional groups of peat. The research was aimed to study peatland degradation based on functional group changes through FTIR analysis. The samples of peat soil were taken from burned peatland, agricultural peat land and natural peat in Kalampangan, Central Kalimantan. The hydrophobic properties of the functional group are indicated as lignin, carboxylic or phenolic groups, fat, wax or lipids, while the hydrophilic functional group is indicated as protein and cellulose. Degraded peat have the hydrophobic group of 56.20%, while in natural peatlands was around 29%. Hydrophilic functional group on burned peatlands was 34.5-43%, natural peatland was 60-70% and agricultural peatland was 66%. Functional group analysis using FTIR can be used to detect the level of peatland degradation, through a significant increase in hydrophobic groups.