Chapter 5
Chemical Characterization of Sclerotia
Grains Collected from a Volcanic Ash Soil
Profile in Japan
Bolormaa Oyuntsetseg, Nobuo Sakagami, Khulan Nyamsanjaa, and
Makiko Watanabe
Abstract Sclerotia grains, fungal resting structures, are commonly found in forest
soils, but little is known of their chemical characteristics. Sclerotia samples collected
from a buried A horizon from a Japanese Andosol were physically and chemically
characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy
(SEM-EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, elemental (C-H-N-O) analysis,
13
C nuclear magnetic resonance,
27 Al nuclear magnetic resonance, particle
induced X-ray emission spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission
spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The C, H, N, and
O contents of the sclerotia grains were determined to be 47.6, 3.32, 0.78, and 30.2%
by mass, respectively. Sclerotia Al, Fe, and Si contents determined by particle
induced X-ray emission analysis were 1.4, 0.56, and 0.08%, respectively, in relative
agreement with those determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission
spectrometry (1.1, 0.5, and 0.1%, respectively). Functional carbon groups were
characterized by dominance of O-alkyl carbon associated with aromatic carbon.
Analysis of the
27 Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectra showed the presence of 6and 4-coordinated aluminum. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the dominant
form of aluminum in sclerotia was amorphous. Minor elements such as Ti, Cr, Mn,
Cu, Zn, Br, and Pb were detected in the grains at concentrations between 10 and
100 μg g
À1 .
B. Oyuntsetseg (*)
Department of Chemistry, School of Art and Sciences, National University of Mongolia,
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
e-mail: bolormaa@num.edu.mn
N. Sakagami
Department of Biological Production Science, College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University,
Amimachi, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: nobuo.sakagami.soil@vc.ibaraki.ac.jp
K. Nyamsanjaa · M. Watanabe
Department of Geography, Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo
Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: nyamsanjaa-khulan@ed.tmu.ac.jp; m.wata@tmu.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Watanabe (ed.), Sclerotia Grains in Soils, Progress in Soil Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4252-1_5
77
Chemical Characterization of Sclerotia
Grains Collected from a Volcanic Ash Soil
Profile in Japan
Bolormaa Oyuntsetseg, Nobuo Sakagami, Khulan Nyamsanjaa, and
Makiko Watanabe
Abstract Sclerotia grains, fungal resting structures, are commonly found in forest
soils, but little is known of their chemical characteristics. Sclerotia samples collected
from a buried A horizon from a Japanese Andosol were physically and chemically
characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy
(SEM-EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, elemental (C-H-N-O) analysis,
13
C nuclear magnetic resonance,
27 Al nuclear magnetic resonance, particle
induced X-ray emission spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission
spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The C, H, N, and
O contents of the sclerotia grains were determined to be 47.6, 3.32, 0.78, and 30.2%
by mass, respectively. Sclerotia Al, Fe, and Si contents determined by particle
induced X-ray emission analysis were 1.4, 0.56, and 0.08%, respectively, in relative
agreement with those determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission
spectrometry (1.1, 0.5, and 0.1%, respectively). Functional carbon groups were
characterized by dominance of O-alkyl carbon associated with aromatic carbon.
Analysis of the
27 Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectra showed the presence of 6and 4-coordinated aluminum. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the dominant
form of aluminum in sclerotia was amorphous. Minor elements such as Ti, Cr, Mn,
Cu, Zn, Br, and Pb were detected in the grains at concentrations between 10 and
100 μg g
À1 .
B. Oyuntsetseg (*)
Department of Chemistry, School of Art and Sciences, National University of Mongolia,
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
e-mail: bolormaa@num.edu.mn
N. Sakagami
Department of Biological Production Science, College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University,
Amimachi, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: nobuo.sakagami.soil@vc.ibaraki.ac.jp
K. Nyamsanjaa · M. Watanabe
Department of Geography, Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo
Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: nyamsanjaa-khulan@ed.tmu.ac.jp; m.wata@tmu.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Watanabe (ed.), Sclerotia Grains in Soils, Progress in Soil Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4252-1_5
77