USE OF ACETIC ACID IN SOXHLET WEATHERING PROCEDURES

Abstract

Modified soxhlet extractors using 0.3 M acetic acid were used to leach parent material from a sandy soil. Three extractors were run at a low leaching rate of 2.2 L d−1 and three others at a high leaching rate of 4.3 L d−1 for a total of 8 wk. Soil residues, leachates, suspended sediments and adhered precipitates on the sides of the collection flasks were analyzed for basic cations and Fe, Al and Si. Leaching reduced original sample weights 2.1% and 6.0% for the low and high rates, respectively, and resulted in podzolic weathering for both treatments. Although the low and high leaching rates did not differ in their ability to remove Mg and Fe from the soil samples, the extract-ability of these elements was greater in residues for the low versus the high leaching-rate treatments. It was concluded that extractable measures may not always predict the teachability of elements. In conjunction with routine soil chemical analyses, this acetic acid procedure shows promise for predicting behavior of soil materials that are to be placed in podzolic soil environments where fluctuating water tables are present. Key words: Soxhlet, podzolization, soil weathering, leaching studies