Organic matter biomarker and C NMR characteristics of soil and sediment standard reference materials from China.

Soil and sediment organic matter (OM) in terrestrial environments represent two critical organic carbon pools on Earth and are likely subject to distinct degrees of oxidation and modification. However, few studies have identified critical molecular-level characteristics that differentiate soil and sediment OM from various climate zones. Using biomarkers and solid-state C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy analyses, we studied the OM characteristics of 11 soil and 7 sediment standard reference materials (SRMs) originating from various geographical locations in China.