Influence of arsenic on soil nitrogen transformations

Book · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1971

OSTI ID:6312667

Snyder, K

Soil samples were taken from Black Rock Canyon which has been subjected to pollution from Kennecott Copper Corporation smelter. Mineralization studies were conducted by adding a constant amount of peptone to soil samples from each site and comparing the rates of ammonification, nitrosofication, and nitrification. Then, concentrations of 50 ppm, 150 ppm and 250 ppm arsenic were added to the control samples and similar mineralization rates were determined. These rates then were compared to the Black Rock Canyon soil samples. The conclusions are as follows: 1. Ammonification rates of the Black Rock Canyon and control samples amended with both peptone and arsenic were similar. However, the rates at which ammonium was oxidized differed. The Black Rock Canyon samples amended with peptone retained about twice the concentration of ammonium as the peptone control samples. Similarly the control samples amended with arsenic retained almost two times the concentration of ammonium as that observed for the same samples without the arsenic additions. The observed effect was attributed to the inhibition of ammonium oxidation in the presence of the added arsenic. 2. Nitrosofication rates in the Black Rock Canyon samples were reduced compared to those of controls. Controls treated with arsenic did not show a reduction in the rate of nitrosofication. Generally little nitrite oxidation occurred in the presence of arsenic. 3. Nitrification rates of the Black Rock Canyon samples were much reduced compared to controls. Nitrate accumulation in controls amended with arsenic was 33% to 84% less than that accumulated in the absence of arsenic.

• OSTI ID: 6312667
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510100* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ARSENIC
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COPPER
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
PRODUCTION
SEMIMETALS
SMELTERS
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
UTAH
VARIATIONS