Complexes soil solution

J. Gerke, Orthophosphate and organic phosphate in the soil solution of four sandy soils—evidence for humic-Fe(Al) phosphate complexes. Commim. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 25 601 (1992). 

J. Gerke, Aluminium and iron (III) species in the soil solution including organic complexes with citrate and humic substances. Z. Pflanzenemarhr. Bodenk. 160 421 (1997). 

The growth of ectomycorrhizal trees is frequently improved by their increased phosphorus (P) accumulation (3), and this, in turn, is related to the intensity of the mycorrhizal infection. Ectomycorrhizal fungi solubilize insoluble forms of A1 and Ca phosphates as well as inositol hexaphosphates, though a wide interstrain variability has been recorded (112). These complex P forms are digested by the secretion of extracellular acid and alkaline phosphomono- and phosphodi-ester-ases. Pi in soil solutions is easily taken up by ectomycorrhizal hyphae and then translocated to the host roots. Its absorption and efflux are probably regulated... 

Americium will occur in soil in the trivalent state. The transformations that may occur would involve complexation with inorganic and organic ligands (see Section 6.3.1) and precipitation reactions with anions and other substances present in the soil solution. The 241 Am occurring as an ingrowth progeny of 241Pu and trapped in a plutonium matrix will exhibit solubility and biokinetic characteristics of the plutonium, rather than americium. 

At high electrolyte concentrations of the soil solution, the double layer is compressed so that clay remains flocculated. A decrease in ion concentration, e.g. as a result of dilution by percolating rain water, can result in dispersion of clay and collapse of aggregates. If the exchange complex is dominated by polyvalent ions, the double layer may remain narrow even at low electrolyte concentrations and consequently aggregates remain intact (FAO, 2001). 

In addition, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is also an important soil solution solute affecting speciation and bioavailability of many trace elements in soil solution. Many trace elements and heavy metals complex with dissolved organic carbon. This is especially important in arid and semi-arid environments since high soil pH increases the solubility of organic molecules and accordingly increases concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in soil solution. 

Soil pH and dissolved organic carbon strongly affect complexation of Zn in soil solution. Complexed Zn decreases with soil pH. McBride and... 

Organic complexed Cd is not important in arid soil solution. Hirsh and Banin (1990) observed 5-10% of Cd bound to organic ligands in Israeli arid soil solution. Emmerich et al. (1982) found that organic-Cd complexes constituted 1-4% of Cd in California arid soil solution. However, Villarroel et al. (1993) reported that in a California sludge-treated soil, Cd was mainly present in both free ion and organic complex forms (each accounted for 32-40% and 30-45% of total Cd in soil solution, respectively), followed by the chloride complexes (8-20%), S04-complex (3-10%), and P04-Cd complex (1.5-7.7%). The nitrate Cd complexes were the lowest. Cadmium activities and speciation is not significantly affected by P and N treatments. 

Soil pH is the most important factor controlling solution speciation of trace elements in soil solution. The hydrolysis process of trace elements is an essential reaction in aqueous solution (Table 3.6). As a function of pH, trace metals undergo a series of protonation reactions to form metal hydroxide complexes. For a divalent metal cation, Me(OH)+, Me(OH)2° and Me(OH)3 are the most common species in arid soil solution with high pH. Increasing pH increases the proportion of metal hydroxide ions. Table 3.6 lists the first hydrolysis reaction constant (Kl). Metals with lower pKl may form the metal hydroxide species (Me(OH)+) at lower pH. pK serves as an indicator for examining the tendency to form metal hydroxide ions. 

Based on Table 3.6, Cu and Pb may form Cu(OH)+ and Pb(OH)+ at pH 8.0 and 8.4, respectively, while Zn may form Zn(OH)+ at pH 9.0. However, Cd can form Cd(OH)+ at pH 10.1. This indicates that at normal pH ranges of arid and semi-arid soils, Cu and Pb, and to some extent, Zn may be present in their hydroxide complex ions, while Cd is less likely to be in the hydroxide form unless at higher soil pH (Table 3.5). Sauve et al. (1997) reported that free Cu activity in soil solution of Quebec and New York decreased with higher pH. Fotovat et al. (1997) reported that Zn(OH)2° and ZnCC>30 contributed to a considerable proportion of the total solution Zn (about 16-21%) in soils with high pH (7.56-8.99) from South Australia. Ma and Lindsay (1990) reported that the Zn activities measured in 10 Colorado arid soils can be expressed by the relationship with log K° = 5.7 0.38 (Fig. 3.1) ... 

Soil solution to soil ratios also strongly affect distribution of some trace elements such as Zn speciation in arid and semi-arid soils. Fotovat et al. (1997) reported that the proportion of free hydrated Zn2+ to total Zn ranged from 20-65% at field capacity soil water content and decreased with increases in solution to soil ratios, while the proportion of Zn complexed with organic ligands increased dramatically in soils. However, solution to soil ratios do not strongly affect the distribution of Cu speciation in soil solution since Cu primarily occurs as organic complexes in these soil solutions. 

Concentrations of trace elements in soil solution may be controlled by the solubility of certain solid phases via dissolution/(co-)precipitation or by other physicochemical and biological processes such as adsorption-desorption, complexation, and redox reactions. 

---