Effect of Synthetic Detergents on Soil Erosion Resistance

Abstract

The effect of soil contamination with synthetic detergents (SD) Labomid-203, MS-8 and ML-51 in combination with potassium monoborate (MBP) on the change in the potential of soil erosion resistance (PER) was evaluated. PER characterizes the soil resistance to water erosion and is equal to the energy of a water jet acting perpendicular to the soil surface, required for the destruction and removal of a unit of soil mass from the area of its natural occurrence. Soil water retention curve (SWRC) and hydraulic conductivity were selected for the research as parameters determining soil erodibility. SWRC and moisture conductivity function are dependent on the surface tension and viscosity of the moisture in the soil, which are changed on soil contamination with surfactants of washing solutions. Integrating the expression for SWRC in the range of moisture content values from a fixed initial value to the value, corresponding to the complete filling of soil pores with moisture, gave the result correlating with the energy determining the potential for erosion resistance. Soil contamination with SD and MBP led to the significant decrease in soil erosion resistance, which is particularly evident at low moisture values. The largest decrease in soil erosion resistance (by an average of 39.6%) was caused by MS-8 (1.0% MS-8, 0.3% MBP). The smallest decrease in soil erosion resistance (by an average of 12.4%) was caused by ML-51 (0.5% ML-51, 0.1% MBP). The experiments were carried out with dark-gray and light-gray forest soils of the Chuvash Republic (Russia).