Forest soil response to acid and salt additions of sulfate: 1. Sulfur constituents and net retention

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Soil Science; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-199102000-00003· OSTI ID:5598708

David, M B; Fasth, W J; Vance, G F ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana (USA)

The authors used soil columns constructed from a Maine Spodosol and Illinois Alfisol to investigate the retention of SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}} added as Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} or H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. Both organic and inorganic S pools were examined to determine how retention of added SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}} was influenced by both mineralization/immobilization and adsorption/desorption processes. Forty columns were leached weekly for a year with simulated throughfall solutions containing base cations (Ca{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+}, K{sup +}, Na{sup +}), NH{sub 4}{sup +}, NO{sub 3}{sup {minus}}, Cl{sup {minus}}, and either 80, 280, or 1,080 {mu}eq SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}}L{sup {minus}1} for varying periods. At the conclusion of the experiment acid and control columns were destructively sampled by depth increments to examine organic (C-bonded S and ester sulfate) and extractable SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}} concentrations, as well as soil pH. For all Spodosol columns, SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}} adsorption by the B horizon was the dominant process of SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}} retention; no changes in organic S pools were observed. Soils in acid columns retained greater SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}} than salt columns, most likely due to pH dependent adsorption. However, all Spodosols retained large amounts of SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}}. In the Alfisol, SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}} retention was lower than in the Spodosols (<25%) due to a limited SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}} adsorption capacity; mineralization of C-bonded S resulted in S inputs nearly equaling outputs. Although organic S was the dominant S pool in both soils, there was little mineralization overall, and inorganic adsorption appeared to be the primary process of SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}} retention.

• OSTI ID: 5598708
• Journal Information: Soil Science; (United States), Journal Name: Soil Science; (United States) Vol. 151:2; ISSN SOSCA; ISSN 0038-075X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540210* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
HUMUS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM SULFATES
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFURIC ACID
SURFACE PROPERTIES
THROUGHFALL