Effects of phosphogypsum or calcium sulfate on aluminon reactive aluminum in solutions at varying pH

Abstract

Abstract Growing evidence of positive crop responses to gypsum or phosphogypsum (PG) application in acid soils strongly support the use of these amendments as an ameliorant of subsoil acidity. Although gypsum improves Ca availability in subsoils, its role in alleviation of Al toxicity needs careful attention. In the current study, either PG, CaSO4.2H2O or CaCl2.2H2O was added (to supply 12 mM Ca) to solutions containing 40 μM Al at pH 4.1 + 0.1. Solution pH was gradually raised to 4.5, 4.8 and then to 5.3 at various time intervals during 25 d aging of the solutions at 25 + 1OC. Concentration of Al measured by aluminon method without preacidification and preheating, referred to as “reactive Al”; in this paper, was 16 μM in 2 g L‐1PG solution without added Al. This accounted 38% of total soluble Al in PG solution. Addition of 2 g L‐1PG to solution containing 40 μM Al, resulted in only 42% of total Al in solution present in forms reactive with aluminon. According to MINTEQ speciation model, Al in solution was present as an entirely complexed form with F‐. An increase in solution pH up to 5.3 had no effect on measured concentration of reactive Al or predicted distribution of Al species. Addition of CaSO4.2H2O to 40 μMAl solutions had no effect on the concentration of reactive Al within pH 4.1 ‐4.8, however, up to 62% of total Al was in a form complexed with SO4 2‐, as predicted by MINTEQ model. The concentration of reactive Al decreased by 60% at pH 5.3. Addition of CaCl2.2H2O also had no effect on the concentration of reactive Al within pH 4.1 ‐ 4.8. Nearly 73 ‐ 94% of total Al was present in Al3+form. An increase in pH to 5.3, decreased the concentration of reactive Al by 27%. The results suggest that ion‐pairing of Al with F‐would appear to be a possible mechanism for alleviation of Al toxicity by PG at pH range 4.1 ‐ 5.3. With regard to CaSO4.2H2O, at pH 4.1 ‐ 4.8 ion‐pairing with SO.4 2‐appears to be possible mechanism for the alleviation of Al toxicity. In addition, at pH 5.3 a considerable decrease in reactive Al was evident which would further alleviate Al toxicity.