The role of organic matter in controlling aluminum solubility in acidic mineral soil horizons

Abstract

Despite the ecological importance of potentially phytotoxic Al, its solubility control in acidic mineral soils remains unresolved. We examined the solubility of Al in mineral horizons of two acidic forest soils (Inceptisol and Spodosol) in southern Sweden using a series of batch experiments. Dissolution of Al was found to consist of a rapid solubilization of reactive solid phase Al, which quickly reached an equilibrium state, superimposed on a slow dissolution of less reactive Al-containing phases (e.g., primary Al-silicates). Titration experiments in the pH range 3.2–4.7 using an equilibration time of 5 days showed that at pH < 4.1, all suspensions were undersaturated with respect to gibbsite (Al(OH) 3; log ∗K SO = 8.85 at 8° C) . Under such conditions, the Al solubility could be explained qualitatively by equilibrium complexation reactions with soil organic matter. Quantitatively, our results could be reproduced reasonably well using the mechanistic model WHAM, which describes the binding of Al by humic substances in organic soils. This suggests that the pool of organically bound soil Al controls the Al solubility in suspensions of strongly acidic soils. Due to the kinetically constrained release of Al from primary and secondary minerals, the amount of organically bound Al, and therefore the Al solubility in the suspensions, gradually increases with time. Consequently, a quantitative evaluation of Al solubility data from long-term batch experiments should consider both equilibrium and kinetic processes.