Phosphorus in Soils

Brookes PC, Powlson DS, Jenkinson DS (1982) Measurement of microbial biomass phosphorus in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 14 319-329... 

Although there exists a good understanding of the chemistry of phosphorus in soil-water systems, the hydrologic pathways linking spatially variable phosphorus sources, sinks, temporary storages, and transport processes in landscapes are less... 

Bray RH, Kurtz LT. Determination of total, organic, and available phosphorus in soils. Soil Sci. 1945 59 39 16. 

Tiyapongpattana, W., Pongsakul, P., Shiowatana, J., and Nacapricha, D. (2004). Sequential extraction of phosphorus in soil and sediment using a continuous-flow system. Talanta 62 765-771. 

Suppliers of visible spectrophotometers are reviewed in Table 1.1. Spectroscopic methods are applicable to the determination of phenols, chlorophenols, amines, mixtures of organics, boron, halogens, total nitrogen and total phosphorus in soils, cationic surfactants, carbohydrates, total nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in non-saline sediments, boron, total organic carbon, total sulphur and arsenic in saline sediments, cationic surfactants, adenosine triphosphate and total organic carbon in sludges. 

Pelts and Belcher [46] have described a semi-automated method for the simultaneous determination of nitrogen and phosphorus in soil. Up to 40 samples are digested with sulphuric acid using a copper sulphate-sodium sulphate catalyst at 370°C for 2.25h in a thermostatically controlled block. Nitrogen is then determined in the 0.2-2.25% range as ammonia by automatic colorimetric analyses of the indophenol blue complex at 630nm. 

The automated spectrophotometric procedure [47] for the determination of total nitrogen in soils discussed in section 12.5.1.2 has also been applied to the determination of 0-0.75% phosphorus in soils. The method is based on the formation of the yellow molybdate-vanadate complex which has an absorption maximum at 420nm. 

Olsen et al. [62] have described a method for the determination of pH8.5 sodium bicarbonate extractable phosphorus in soils. The concentration of the blue complex produced by the reduction, with ascorbic acid, of the phosphomolybdate formed when acid ammonium molybdate reacts with phosphate is measured spectrophotometrically at 880 nm [63]. 

Methods based on flow-injection analyses have been described for the determination of extractable [62, 64-66] and available [67] phosphorus in soils. 

In the method for extractable phosphorus [62, 64-66] the phosphorus is extracted from the soil at 20 1°C with sodium bicarbonate solution at pH8.5. After filtration and release of carbon dioxide the extracts are introduced into a flow-injection system for the determination of phosphate. Phosphate is determined by reaction with vanadomolybdate and the yellow colour evaluated at 410nm. Between 20 and lOOOmg kg-1 phosphorus in soil has been determined using this method. 

In a further method [67] for the determination of ammonium lactate extractable (i.e. available) phosphorus in soils, the sample 5g is extracted with 100ml acidic ammonium lactate and then phosphate determined by flow-injection analysis using the stannous chloride method [68]. 

Olsen et al. [71] have reviewed the determination of inorganic, organic and total phosphorus in soil and sediments. Determination of total phosphorus in aqueous samples commonly involves a hot acid oxidation type digestion procedure, although various other dry-ashing, fusion and UV... 

Saunders and Williams [79] have discussed ignition methods for the determination of organic phosphorus in soils. Sodium carbonate fusion has also been used to solubilize phosphate in soil analyses. 

Tecator Ltd., Sweden. (1984) Application Note AN 73/84. Determination of Extractable Phosphorus in Soil by Flow Inspection Analysis. 

Rao PSC, Davidson JM. 1982. Retention and transformation of selected pesticides and phosphorus in soil-water systems A critical review. Engineering Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, Athens, GA. EPA-600/S3-82-060. 

Fig. 5.3. Manifold for the automated determination of phosphorus in soil extracts.

Olsen, S.R., Cole, C.V., Watanabe, F.S. and Dean, L.A. (1954) Estimation of available phosphorus in soils by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. USDA Circular No. 939, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. 

Deficiencies of available phosphorus in soils are a major cause of limited crop production. Phosphorus deficiency is regarded by some authorities as the most critical mineral deficiency in grazing livestock. 

PHOSPHORUS (In Biological Systems). Phosphorus is required by every living plant and animal cell. Deficiencies of available phosphorus in soils are a major cause of limited crop production, Phosphorus deficiency is probably the most critical mineral deficiency in grazing livestock. Phosphorus, as orthophosphate or as the phosphoric acid ester of organic compounds, has many functions in the animal body. As such, phosphorus is an essential dietary nutrient. 

Barrow, N.J. (1980). Evaluation and utilization of residual phosphorus in soils. In The Role of Phosphorus in Soils, ed. F.E. Khasawneh el al., pp. 333-55. Madison, WI American Society of Agronomy. 

The continental cycle of phosphorus is determined by ten fluxes (Figure 4.1) closed by a single component Ps indicating the phosphorus supplies on land in soil-vegetation formations and in animals. The supplies of phosphorus in soils are replenished due to fluxes Hf (l = 2,4,5,8,9,10). The loss of phosphorus from the soil is determined by fluxes Hj ( / = 3,6,7,11). As the detailing of surface reservoirs of phosphorus and consideration of more ingenious effects in the interaction between these reservoirs gets more complicated, so the classification of the surface fluxes of... 

Rao, P. S. C., and Davison, J. M., eds (1982). Retention and Transformation of Selected Pesticides and Phosphorus in Soil-Water Systems A Critical Review, EPA-600/3-82-060. U.S. Environ. Prot. Agency, Athens, Georgia. 

Two important sources of elemental phosphorus in soil are the creation of slag piles during the production of white phosphorus, and the disposal of solid wastes containing elemental phosphorus in hazardous waste landfills (Berkowitz et al. 1981 Idler et al. 1981). The field use of WP/F and red phosphorus/butyl rubber smoke/obscurant releases elemental phosphorus into soil primarily as unburnt phosphorus in munitions (Berkowitz et al. 1981 ... 

Bohn HL, Johnson GV, Cliff JH. 1970. Detoxification of white phosphorus in soil. J Agric Food Chem 18 1172-1173. 

Vaz, M.D. Ron, Edwards, A.C., Shand, C.A. and Cresser, M. (1992) Determination of dissolved organic phosphorus in soil solutions by an improved automated photo-oxidation procedure. Talanta, 39, 1479-1487. 

Brookes, P. C., Landman, A., Pruden, G., and Jenkinson, D. S. (1985). Chloroform fumigation and the release of soil nitrogen A rapid direct extraction method to measure microbial biomass nitrogen in soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 17, 837-842. Brookes, P. C., Powlson, D. S., and Jenkinson, D. S. (1982). Measurement of microbial biomass phosphorus in soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 14, 319-321. 

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