ABSTRACT

The insoluble organic matter (young kerogen) in a surface sediment from Lake Haruna was subjected to alkaline permanganate oxidation. The young kerogen was easily degraded under the mild condition and relatively large amounts of CO₂ and acid-insoluble material (alkali-soluble but precipitated in acid-solution) were generated at the early stages of the oxidation. The major oxidation products determined by GC-MS were aliphatic α, ω-dicarboxylic acids (C₅-C₁₆). Benzene carboxylic acids (mono, di and tri) and aliphatic monocarboxylic acids (C₈-C₁₈) were also detected in minor amounts. The yield of polymethylene chains (C₅-C₁₈) was 1.6% of the original kerogen. A hypothetical structure of the young kerogen was deduced from results obtained.