Soil cation leaching by acid rain with varying nitrate-to-sulfate ratios

Journal Article · · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6004260

Huete, A R; McColl, J G

The influence of the anion composition of simulated acid rain on cation leaching of three soils with different surface-charge properties was examined. Four acid mixtures of H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ and HNO/sub 3/, all with pH 3.5, but with varying NO/sub 3//sup -//SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ mole ratios of 1.00:0.00, 0.75:0.25, 0.55:0.45, and 0.00:1.00, were used to leach an Ultic-Alfisol, and Oxisol, and an Entisol. The taxonomic names of these three soils are (i) Cornutt series: fine, mixed, mesic Ultic Haploxeralfs, (ii) unnamed Rhodustox, and (iii) Hanford series: coarse-loamy, mixed, nonacid, thermic Typic Xerorthents. The Alfisol had a high SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ adsorption capacity because of its high Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ content of 12 g kg/sup -1/ and high point-of-zero charge (PZC) of 6.0. The Oxisol, although strongly weathered, had a lower Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ content of 5 g kg/sup -1/ and PZC of 4.5. The Entisol was a relatively unweathered soil derived from silicaceous alluvium, with even less Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ of 3 g kg/sup -1/ and a lower PZC of 3.5, and represented a soil of fixed charge. Cation leaching of the Alfisol varied directly with the NO/sub 3//sup -/ content of the leaching input due to the higher mobility of NO/sub 3//sup -/ compared with SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ that was adsorbed. The relative NO/sub 3//sup -//SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ contents of inputs had no effects on cation leaching of the Entisol. Effects on leaching of the Oxisol were intermediate between those of the Alfisol and Entisol.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Berkeley
• OSTI ID: 6004260
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 13:3; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
AIR POLLUTION
ANIONS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CLASSIFICATION
CONCENTRATION RATIO
DATA
DISSOLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
IONS
LEACHING
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
RAIN
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIMULATION
SOILS
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFURIC ACID
SURFACE PROPERTIES