Humic acid is a principal component of humic substances which are the major organic constituents of soil, (humus), peat, coal, many upland streams, dystrophic lakes and ocean water.[1] It is produced by biodegradation of dead organic matter. It is not a single acid, rather, it is a complex mixture of many different acids containing carboxyl and phenolate groups so that the mixture behaves functionally as a dibasic acid or, occasionally, as a tribasic acid. Humic acids can form complexes with ions that are commonly found in the environment
