Laser Diffractometry in the Measurements of Soil and Sediment Particle Size Distribution

Abstract

Abstract The laser diffraction method (LDM) is a relatively new technique that is increasingly used in measurements of the particle size distribution (PSD) of soil and sediments. It has significant advantages (high precision, simple and rapid measurement) but the PSDs obtained by LDM often differ from those obtained with previously used sieve-sedimentation methods (SSMs). The main factors influencing the measurements that use LDM (among others: soil pretreatment, construction of the device settings of the operator, specificity of soil material, and the problem of fulfilling the assumptions of the method) are presented and the problem of comparability with SSM. New areas of investigations using LDM are also discussed. The work concludes with a set of postulates that should be taken into account to standardize LDM and increase the comparability of results, not only with SSMs but also with the PSDs obtained in other laboratories, including the diffractometers deriving from other producers.