Abstract
This study was aimed to clarify the influence of secondary mineral constituents (iron and aluminium oxides, kaolinite) and organic matter on the determination of the phosphate-fixing capacity (PFIX) of well-drained low-activity clay soils. This study was done on soil samples (0–2 mm) and on their particle size fractions. The phosphate-fixing capacity, estimated by an isotopic exchange method, was highly related to the total iron content of the soils. The phosphate-fixing capacity of the particle size fractions was related to their mineralogical composition, and to the organisation of their constituents. H2O2 strongly increased the phosphate-fixing capacity of the soils and of their particle size fractions. Two hypotheses were proposed to explain this. Either H2O2 caused the formation in vitro of amorphous constituents with a high phosphate fixing capacity; or the destruction of organic matter by H2O2 caused the apparition of new surfaces previously masked by organo-mineral aggregation and/or caused the apparition on surfaces of fixation sites previously occupied by organic compounds. Key words: Phosphate-fixing capacity, low-activity clay soils, particle size fractionation, mineralogy, organic matter, H2O2 effect
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