Application of sorption tests to estimate selected properties of alluvial soils in Żuławy Elbląskie

Abstract

Application of sorption tests to estimate selected properties of alluvial soils in Żuławy Elbląskie The specific surface area and hence the sorption or desorption moisture at constant water vapour pressure will increase with increasing content of humus and clay fraction in soils. Adopting such an assumption, preliminary experimental studies were performed to assess the possibility of using sorption/desorption tests to determine some features of alluvial soils from Żuławy such as cation exchange capacity CEC and the specific external surface area Se. Results of the sorption tests were compared with the analyses of the same soil properties determined with standard methods to evaluate the usefulness of the former. Preliminary studies showed a high similarity in the determination of CEC and Se with both methods. Confirmed usefulness of sorption/desorption methods for determination of the specific surface area of mineral soil particles and particularly for analyses of cation exchange capacity would bring a significant simplification of studies and a possibility of their dissemination due to the ease of such analyses. Determination of the specific surface area with the sorption and desorption method does not require sophisticated equipment and laborious and costly preliminary procedures. Dissemination of this method and recognition it as a reference one would, however, need further studies on various soil types.