Impact Of Soil Organic Matter Research Articles

Occurrence, distribution and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils around main water source areas of Beijing, China.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban environments have been globally concerned due to their significant health impacts on residents. However, little is known about potential risks of PAHs from centralized water source areas. In the present study, 326 soils samples from the main water source areas of Beijing were collected and the occurrence, source appointment, and risks of PAHs were systematically investigated based on the monitoring results from high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The total PAHs (∑16 PAHs) concentrations ranged from 5.70 to 1512ng/g with median value of 44.2ng/g, in which 4-ring and 5-ring groups were the major components. PAHs concentrations in the cultivated land were significantly higher than other areas, which could reflect significant impact of soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents on the spatial variations of PAHs. Further source identifications through positive matrix factorization model (PMF) revealed that biomass (22.5%), coal (21.4%), gasoline (17.6%) and diesel (16.4%) combustion were dominant sources of soil PAHs in the study area. Moreover, the risk assessment indicated that total ecological and health risk of PAHs were negligible, but individual PAH, including pyrene and benzo(b)fluoranthene, should be concerned due to their potential risks in several monitored stations located in the secondary protection area of four reservoirs. Our study provided new insights into environmental risks of soils in main water source areas from PAHs and could be helpful for organic micropollutant controlling and drinking water safety in rapidly urbanizing cities.

A Performance Analysis of Soil Dielectric Models over Organic Soils in Alaska for Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture

Passive microwave remote sensing of soil moisture (SM) requires a physically based dielectric model that quantitatively converts the volumetric SM into the soil bulk dielectric constant. Mironov 2009 is the dielectric model used in the operational SM retrieval algorithms of the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) and the ESA Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) missions. However, Mironov 2009 suffers a challenge in deriving SM over organic soils, as it does not account for the impact of soil organic matter (SOM) on the soil bulk dielectric constant. To this end, we presented a comparative performance analysis of nine advanced soil dielectric models over organic soil in Alaska, four of which incorporate SOM. In the framework of the SMAP single-channel algorithm at vertical polarization (SCA-V), SM retrievals from different dielectric models were derived using an iterative optimization scheme. The skills of the different dielectric models over organic soils were reflected by the performance of their respective SM retrievals, which was measured by four conventional statistical metrics, calculated by comparing satellite-based SM time series with in-situ benchmarks. Overall, SM retrievals of organic-soil-based dielectric models tended to overestimate, while those from mineral-soil-based models displayed dry biases. All the models showed comparable values of unbiased root-mean-square error (ubRMSE) and Pearson Correlation (R), but Mironov 2019 exhibited a slight but consistent edge over the others. An integrated consideration of the model inputs, the physical basis, and the validated accuracy indicated that the separate use of Mironov 2009 and Mironov 2019 in the SMAP SCA-V for mineral soils (SOM <15%) and organic soils (SOM ≥15%) would be the preferred option.

Seasonal Shifts in Soil Microbiome Structure Are Associated with the Cultivation of the Local Runner Bean Variety around the Lake Mikri Prespa.

Leguminous crops play a key role in food production and agroecosystem sustainability. However, climate change and agricultural intensification have a significant impact on the available arable land, soil microbiome functions, and ultimately, crop productivity. The "Prespa bean" (Phaseolous coccineous L.) is an important leguminous crop for the agricultural economy of the rural areas surrounding the lake, Mikri Prespa, which is of significant ecological importance. The seasonal effects on soil microbiome structure, diversity and functions associated with the runner bean cultivation were investigated using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results indicated that the presence of the runner bean differentially shaped the soil microbial community structure. The runner bean was implicated in the recruitment of specific bacteria, by favouring or excluding specific classes or even phyla. Soil functions involved in nutrient availability and carbon metabolism, among other pathways, were associated with microbiome-plant interactions. The temporal relative abundance shifts could be explained by the impact of soil organic matter, the fertilization regime, and the equilibrium in carbon metabolic processes. This research has shown the effect of runner bean cultivation on the soil microbiome which, in future, may potentially contribute to research into sustainable agricultural productivity and the protection of soil ecosystem services.

Positive associations of soil organic matter and crop yields across a regional network of working farms

AbstractThe amount of soil organic matter (SOM) is considered a key indicator of soil properties associated with higher fertility. Despite the ubiquity of assumptions surrounding SOM's contributions to soil functioning, we lack quantitative relationships between SOM and yield outcomes on working farms. We quantified the relationship between SOM and yields of corn (Zea mays L.) and silage for a dataset of 170 fields arrayed across 49 farms in a network of growers based in Wisconsin and Minnesota, USA. As SOM concentrations increase so do yields, though gains start to level off around 4% SOM. When examining the relationship between yield and soil health indicators representative of biologically active C pools, we found that mineralizable C has a stronger relationship with yield than permanganate oxidizable C. Mineral fertilizer, manure, and SOM had relationships of similar magnitude with yield, highlighting that SOM in combination with exogenous inputs likely plays an important role in driving agricultural productivity in this region. An interaction between SOM and crop rotation indicated that the impact of SOM on crop yields varied depending on rotation (continuous corn vs. corn in rotation). That is, continuous corn had lower yields than corn in rotation despite higher SOM concentrations. Our findings provide insight into the relationship between indicators of soil health, farm management, and crop yields for a set of working farms and lend support to the goals of soil health initiatives that rest on building SOM in agricultural soils to improve agricultural outcomes.

Winter wheat SPAD estimation from UAV hyperspectral data using cluster-regression methods

Soil plant analysis development (SPAD) values indicate the relative chlorophyll content in leaves. Chlorophyll plays a vital role in wheat growth and fertilization management as a photosynthetic agent. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hyperspectral data, combined with measured SPAD values in fields, are widely used to study wheat chlorophyll concentrations over time. In this study, considering the spectral differences in fields with different soil fertility, we propose a new modeling method named as cluster-regression to estimate the winter wheat SPAD at a national soil observation and experimental station in northern Anhui, China. The wheat spectrum was divided into several clusters according to the spectral angular distance, and regression models were built between wheat spectrum and the measured SPAD for each cluster. We used K-means as the clustering method and two types of ensemble learning algorithms, namely, random forests and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) as the regression methods. The root-mean-square error (RMSE), median absolute percentage error (MAPE), and R2 were used as model accuracy indicators. The results showed that the XGBoost model slightly outperformed the random forest in wheat SPAD estimation. Coupled with the first step of K-means clustering, the overall performance of the regression models can be easily improved, and cluster-XGBoost showed the best performance, with an RMSE of 1.444, MAPE of 2.36%, and R2 of 0.925. Moreover, addition of soil organic matter and soil total nitrogen positively impacted the accuracy of SPAD estimation models. This study provides an effective UAV hyperspectral technique for wheat SPAD concentration estimation and demonstrates the impact of soil organic matter and total nitrogen on wheat SPAD estimation.

Impact of soil organic matter on Pu migration in five Lithuanian surface soils

Pu distribution coefficient Kd variation was experimentally determined and examined in natural soil samples considering the type of soil, particle size, pH, the concentration of macroelements and organic matter content. This research was carried out with sand, silty sand, peat, clayey sand and clayey loam samples by applying 236Pu tracer in flow-through column tests. Due to relatively short contact time of 0.5–40 h the tests are considered as have not reached equilibrium state and represent the fast-moving contaminants retardation processes closer to field conditions. Every soil sample was fractionated into two particle size fractions: ≤0.25 mm and 0.25 ÷ 0.5 mm. Analysis revealed that Kd of Pu is higher for the smaller soil particle fraction (≤0.25 mm). The experimental study with 1.6, 4, 6 and 9 pH tracer solution revealed a tendency of elevated Kd when 4 pH and 6 pH solutions were applied, but obtained Kd values were not correlated with initial soil pH due to high buffering capacity of soils. This study shows a very significant influence (r = 0.98) of organic matter content on the Pu distribution coefficient. The Kd of Pu for the fine fraction of peat soil with high organic matter content (67%) reached maximum values of 6597 L/kg and 6200 L/kg when tracer solution was applied of pH = 4 and pH = 6, respectively. In comparison, the minimum Kd value of 3.9 L/kg was obtained for the coarse silty sand fraction with the lowest organic matter content of 1.3% at tracer pH = 1.6. A statistically reliable high correlations of r = 0.95 and 0.94 were also observed between Kd and specific soil elements Mg and Pb content in soils, respectively. The content of Fe in soils was significantly correlated (r = 0.67) with the Kd values of plutonium as well. However, the organic matter content in soils appeared to be the governing factor determining good correlations and causing the highest Kd of Pu values.

Salt crust-assisted thermal decomposition method for direct and simultaneous quantification of polypropylene microplastics and organic contaminants in high organic matter soils

Direct quantitative analysis of soil polypropylene microplastics (MPs) via thermal method is still a challenge due to its sensitivity to the soil matrix during the thermal decomposition. In this work, the impact of soil organic matter (SOM) on MPs decomposition in real soil was estimated, and high SOM contents was found have significantly negative effect on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of PP. To solve this problem, a salt crust-assisted thermal decomposition method was developed to reduce the soil matrix effect. By adding salt solution and heating in appropriate temperature program, salt crust can be formed between MPs and soil matrix to isolate PP MPs and soils during the heating process, and thereby to avoid the influence of SOM. Thermal desorption/decomposition coupling with headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was used extraction of MPs decomposition products. All the thermal decomposition products of PP were identified, several alkenes and dialkenes were selected as candidates for quantitative analysis, and 2,4,6,8,10-pentamethyltridec-1-ene with optimal linearity was finally established for quantification. Besides, this method was also established for simultaneous determination of PP MPs and organic contaminants (OCs) including PCBs and PAHs, since it is capable of providing a new approach for investigation of their interaction in real soil environment. A theoretical LOD of 0.002 wt% was obtained for PP MPs, and the LOD of OCs ranges from 0.05 to 1.87 ng/g. Determination of aged soil samples reveal that adsorption of OCs is not a predominating effect of MPs in soil environment, and MPs contaminants may reduce the soil retention capacity. This method provides a new approach for direct quantification of soil PP MPs, and applicable for investigation of the interactions between MPs and OCs in real soils.

Review: Effects of soil organic matters on Fenton reaction

Heterogeneous Fenton reaction has been widely known to destruct organic contaminants, in its basic application definition, by applying one or more Fe2+ or Fe3+-containing source(s) with hydrogen peroxide for producing the strong hydroxyl radicals. Comprehensive experiments in the Fenton reaction area have been done for over 100 years, and considerable progress has been achieved. Achieved removal efficiency by Fenton reaction is usually studied by evaluating the effects of parameters such as initial reagents concentrations, pH, and soil organic matter (SOM). Among them, the results related to the effect of SOM sometimes seem conflicting, as its effects are reported either promoting or inhibiting and sometimes both. Reaction parameters such as initial reagents and pH are the most studied and effective ones in evaluating the effects of SOM on Fenton reaction for organic pollutants. This review intends to give a comprehensive survey of the impact of SOM on the Fenton reaction, with the focus on the heterogeneous Fenton reaction in the soil and solid. For this purpose, the general effects of pH and initial reagents on the Fenton reaction are reviewed in the beginning

Review: Effects of soil organic matters on Fenton reaction

Heterogeneous Fenton reaction has been widely known to destruct organic contaminants, in its basic application definition, by applying one or more Fe2+ or Fe3+-containing source(s) with hydrogen peroxide for producing the strong hydroxyl radicals. Comprehensive experiments in the Fenton reaction area have been done for over 100 years, and considerable progress has been achieved. Achieved removal efficiency by Fenton reaction is usually studied by evaluating the effects of parameters such as initial reagents concentrations, pH, and soil organic matter (SOM). Among them, the results related to the effect of SOM sometimes seem conflicting, as its effects are reported either promoting or inhibiting and sometimes both. Reaction parameters such as initial reagents and pH are the most studied and effective ones in evaluating the effects of SOM on Fenton reaction for organic pollutants. This review intends to give a comprehensive survey of the impact of SOM on the Fenton reaction, with the focus on the heterogeneous Fenton reaction in the soil and solid. For this purpose, the general effects of pH and initial reagents on the Fenton reaction are reviewed in the beginning. Keywords: Fenton reaction, Hydrogen peroxide, pH, Soil organic matter (SOM), The removal efficiency

Evaluation of Noah-MP Land-Model Uncertainties over Sparsely Vegetated Sites on the Tibet Plateau

The water budget and energy exchange over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) region play an important role on the Asian monsoon. However, it is not well presented in the current land surface models (LSMs). In this study, uncertainties in the Noah with multiparameterization (Noah-MP) LSM are assessed through physics ensemble simulations in three sparsely vegetated sites located in the central TP. The impact of soil organic matter on energy flux and water cycles, along with the influence of uncertainties in precipitation are explored using observations at those sites during the third Tibetan Plateau Experiment from 1August2014 to31July2015. The greatest uncertainties are in the subprocesses of the canopy resistance, soil moisture limiting factors for evaporation, runoff (RNF) and ground water, and surface-layer parameterization. These uncertain subprocesses do not change across the different precipitation datasets. More precipitation can increase the annual total net radiation (Rn), latent heat flux (LH) and RNF, but decrease sensible heat flux (SH). Soil organic matter enlarges the annual total LH by ~26% but lessens the annual total Rn, SH, and RNF by ~7%, 7%, and 39%, respectively. Its effect on the LH and RNF at the Nagqu site, which has a sand soil texture type, is greater than that at the other two sites with sandy loam. This study highlights the importance of precipitation uncertainties and the effect of soil organic matter on the Noah-MP land-model simulations. It provides a guidance to improve the Noah-MP LSM further and hence the land-atmosphere interactions simulated by weather and climate models over the TP region.

Biodegradation of phthalate esters in four agricultural soils: Main influencing factors and mechanisms

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are among the frequently detected organic pollutants in agricultural soils. Here, we investigated adsorption and biodegradation behaviors of di-ethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in the soils collected from four regions in China: Changchun (CC), Changsha (CS), Cangzhou (CZ), and Yinchuan (YC). The results demonstrated that soil organic matter content crucially influenced the adsorption progress. However, the calculated degradation rates of PAEs in the four soils had no significant correlation with their adsorption capacity, suggesting that PAEs' bioavailability might be not the limiting factor governing their degradation. Furthermore, homogeneous biodegradation experiments were performed in the soil solutions extracted from different regional soils. Results showed that biodegradation of PAEs was influenced by the soil solution's pH and its concentration of dissolved organic matter (DOM). To better understand the accelerating mechanism of DOM, bacterial growth and enzyme activity in the presence of Humic acid (HA) and Fulvic acid (FA) were determined, and the degradation of PAEs by intracellular enzymes were also investigated. These results suggested that HA, FA, and other forms of DOM were actively involved in this biodegradation process in two ways: namely, via nutritional support and sequestration of PAEs. We conclude that the actual impact of soil organic matter (SOM) upon PAEs' biodegradation in soils arose from the net outcome of these two opposing effects.

Impact of soil organic matter on calcium carbonate equilibrium and forms of Pb in water extracts from Kastanozem complex

Accounting for ionic strength and ion association, the degree of calculated supersaturation with CaCO3 of gleyic solonetz and molic solonetz soil solution is high. The purpose of the research was to reveal the effect of the water-dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the calcium carbonate equilibrium (CCE) in soil solution, to create a thermodynamic model of carbonate association and complexation with DOM and heavy metals (HMs), and to correct the principal of soil management. Object of research—Kastanozem complex of the dry steppe, Rostov Oblast, Russia. The water extraction of soluble salts was made at the water-to soil-ratio 5:1 and analyzed using standard methods. DOM content was determined by Strosser (J Agrobiol 27:49–60, 2010). The soil solution macro-ion equilibrium composition was calculated using ION-2 program (Endovitsky et al. 2009). DOM role in soil solution supersaturation with СаСО3 was assessed, comparing C content in real solution and in identical artificial solution prepared without organic matter. Taking into account the ion association, the molar fractions of free and bound HM ion were calculated using microelement association coefficient, kas(ME). The soil liquid-phase saturation with CaCO3 was characterized by the ratio of the real solubility product (S) to the thermodynamic solubility product (S0): К = S/S0. The soil solution supersaturation with CaCO3 was characterized by the product of analytical concentrations (S), equilibrium concentrations [accounting ion activity (SI), ion association (SII), ion association and complexation (SIII)], and the thermodynamic solubility product (S0). To evaluate the role of DOM in soil solution supersaturation with CaCO3, the initial pure Ca (HCO3)2 solution series was prepared. The humic and fulvic acids from the illuvial horizon of gleyic solonetz with concentrations of 20 mg C L−1 and 120 mg C L−1 decreased the CaCO3 precipitation compared with initial soil solution. The release of CaCO3 from soil water extracts containing water-soluble organic matter was 1.2–1.9 times less compared with identical artificial solution not containing organic matter. The HM binding by carbonates is proportional to the DOM content. In molic solonetz and gleyic solonetz, the neutralization of the soda should be assessed by the soil solution supersaturation with CaCO3. To calculate the degree of HM passivation in soil solution containing DOM, the coefficient of soil solution oversaturation with CaCO3 is proposed. For reducing soil organic matter and DOM mobility and loss from soil, as well as for Pb passivation, intra-soil mechanical processing, intra-soil waste management, and intra-soil watering are proposed.

Impact of soil organic matter on soil properties—a review with emphasis on Australian soils

A review has been undertaken into how soil organic matter (SOM) affects a range of soil properties that are important for the productive capacity of soils. The potential effect of varying the amount of SOM in soil on a range of individual soil properties was investigated using a literature search of published information largely from Australia, but also including relevant information from overseas. The soil properties considered included aggregate stability, bulk density, water-holding capacity, soil erodibility, soil colour, soil strength, compaction characteristics, friability, nutrient cycling, cation exchange capacity, soil acidity and buffering capacity, capacity to form ligands and complexes, salinity, and the interaction of SOM with soil biology. Increases in SOM have the capacity to have strong influence only the physical properties of the surface soils, perhaps only the top 10 cm, or the top 20 cm at most. This limits the capacity of SOM to influence soil productivity. Even so, the top 20 cm is a critical zone for the soil. It is where seeds are sown, germinate and emerge. It is where a large proportion of plant materials are added to the soil for decomposition and recycling of nutrients and where rainfall either enters the soil or runs off. Therefore, the potential to improve soil condition in the top 0–20 cm is still critical for plant productivity. The SOM through nutrient cycling such as mineralisation of organic nitrogen to nitrate can have an influence on the soil profile.

The impact of soil organic matter and soil sterilisation on the bioaccessibility of 14C-azoxystrobin determined by desorption kinetics

As soils represent a major sink for most pesticides, factors influencing pesticide degradation are essential in identifying their potential environmental risk. Desorption of 14C-azoxystrobin was investigated over time in two soils under sterile and non-sterile conditions using exhaustive (solvent) and non-exhaustive (aqueous) methods. Desorption data were fitted to a two-compartment model, differentiating between fast and slow desorbing fractions. With increased ageing, rapid desorption (Frap) (bioaccessibility) decreased with corresponding increases in slowly desorbing fractions (Fslow). The rapid desorption rate constant (kfast) was not affected by ageing, sterility or extraction solvent. The non-exhaustive extractions had similar desorption profiles; whereas exhaustive extractions in aged soils had the highest Frap. In non-sterile soil, Frap was lower resulting in higher Fslow, while desorption rates remained unaffected. Organic matter (OM) reduces Frap; but not desorption rates. Microorganisms and OM enhanced ageing effects, reducing the fraction of fast desorbing chemicals and potentially the bioaccessibility of pesticides in soil.

Conversion of grazing land into Grevillea robusta plantation and exclosure: impacts on soil nutrients and soil organic carbon

Different studies have shown that the effect of land use conversion on soil nutrients and soil organic carbon (SOC) is variable, which indicates that more investigations that focus on different specific geographical locations and land use types are required. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the effect of grazing land (GL) conversion into Grevillea robusta plantation and exclosure (EX) on soil nutrients and soil organic carbon (SOC) and (2) to examine the impact of soil organic matter (SOM) on soil nutrients. To achieve these objectives, soil samples were taken from a soil depth of 20cm (n = 4) in each of the studied land areas. Each soil sample was analysed in a soil laboratory following a standard procedure. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used for the data analysis. The result indicated that conversion of GL into EX improved the soil electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable K, cation exchange capacity (CEC), total N and available P (p < 0.05), while the exchangeable Mg, SOC, available K and SOM were decreased (p < 0.05). Conversion of GL into G. robusta improved the soil EC, exchangeable (K, Ca, Mg), CEC, SOC, total N, available K and SOM (p < 0.05). There was a significant relationship between SOM and available P, total N, SOC and EC. There were no significant relationships between SOM and pH, available K and CEC. Finally, the results indicate that both land uses, established in acidic Nitosols, have variable impacts on soil chemical properties and that G. robusta plantation improved most of the soil nutrients and SOC much better than the EX land use.

Effects of condensed organic matter on PCBs bioavailability in juvenile swine, an animal model for young children

The exposure assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminated soils is a critical issue in terms of human health, especially since little reliable information on transfer of PCBs to humans via involuntary soil ingestion is available. Indeed, young children with their hand-to-mouth activity may be exposed to contaminated soils. The current study addresses the impact of soil organic matter (OM) condensation on bioavailability of sequestrated NDL-PCBs. Three artificial soils (ASs) were prepared according to OECD guideline 207. One standard soil (SS), devoid of OM, and two amended versions of this SS with fulvic acid (FA) or activated carbon (AC) were prepared to obtain 1% organic mass. This study involved fourteen juvenile male swine as a digestive physiology model of young children. Animals were randomly distributed into 4 contaminated groups (3 replicates) and a control one (2 replicates). During 10d, the piglets were fed AS or a corn oil spiked with 19200ng of Aroclor 1254 per g of dry matter (6000ngg−1 of NDL-PCBs) to achieve an exposure dose of 1200ngNDL-PCBskg−1 of body weight per day. After 10d of oral exposure, NDL-PCBs in adipose tissue, liver and muscles were analyzed by GC–MS, after extraction and purification. Two distinct groups of treatments were found: on the one hand oil, SS and FA, on the other hand C and AC. This study highlights that condensed OM (AC) strongly reduces bioavailability whereas the less condensed one (FA) does not seem to have a significant effect. This result has to be considered as a first major step for further relative bioavailability studies involving mixture of different humic substances.

Impact of soil organic matter on the sorption and phase distribution of 20% butanol-blended gasoline in the vadose zone

Batch microcosm experiments were conducted to examine the impact of soil organic matter (SOM) on the sorption and phase distribution of 20% butanol-blended gasoline (B20) compounds in the vadose zone. SOM was found to promote the sorption of B20 gasoline compounds in the vadose zone. It also affected the phase distribution of B20 gasoline compounds in the vadose zone by increasing adsorption on the soil solid and reducing concentrations in the soil air and soil water. These impacts increased with decreasing hydrophobicity of gasoline compounds. However, when compared with unblended gasoline, the SOM-induced increase in sorption coefficient for B20 gasoline compounds was reduced by a maximum of 66% for the cycloalkanes, 60% for the aromatics and 37% for the alkanes, implying a general reduction in the sorptive capability of SOM. Therefore, the use of high butanol volume such as 20% in gasoline to combat climate change is likely to reduce the retentive capability of SOM in the vadose zone and thus may increase groundwater contamination with gasoline compounds. Key words: Butanol-blended gasoline, sorption, phase distribution, vadose zone, soil organic matter.

Impact of soil organic matter on the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils

The knowledge on the distribution of hydrophobic organic contaminants in soils can provide better understanding for their fate in the environment. In the present study, the n-butanol extraction and humic fractionation were applied to investigate the impact of SOM on the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results indicated that 80.5%–94.8% of the target PAHs could be extracted by n-butanol and 63.1%–94.6% of PAHs were associated with fulvic acid (FA). Concentrations of un-extracted PAHs increased significantly with the increasing soil organic matter (SOM), however, such an association was absent for the extractable fractions. The results suggested that the sequestration played a critical role in the accumulation of PAHs in soils. SOM also retarded the diffusion of PAHs into the humin fractions. It implied that sequestration in SOM was critical for PAH distribution in soils, while the properties of PAH compounds also had great influences.

Mobility of Iron-Cyanide Complexes in a Humic Topsoil under Varying Redox Conditions

The potentially toxic Fe-CN complexes ferricyanide,[FeIII(CN)6]3−, and ferrocyanide,[FeII(CN)6]4−, undergo a variety of redox processes in soil, which affect their mobility. We carried out microcosm experiments with suspensions of a humic topsoil (pH 5.3;Corg107 gkg-1) to which we added ferricyanide (20 mgl-1). We varied the redox potential (EH) from −280 to 580 mV by usingO2,N2and glucose. The decrease ofEHled to decreasing concentrations of Fe-CN complexes and partial reductive dissolution of (hydrous) Fe and Mn oxides. The dynamics of aqueous Fe-CN concentrations was characterized by decreasing concentrations when the pH rose and theEHdropped. We attribute these dependencies to adsorption on organic surfaces, for which such a pH/EHbehavior has been shown previously. Adsorption was reversible, because when the pH andEHchanged into the opposite direction, desorption occurred. This study demonstrates the possible impact of soil organic matter on the fate of Fe-CN complexes in soil.

Persistence of acetolactate synthase inhibiting herbicides in a Canterbury soil

The degradation of imazapyr, flumetsulam and thifensulfuron applied at 500, 40 and 30 g/ha respectively to a silt loam soil was studied under laboratory conditions. Herbicide residues were analysed by a lentil (Lens culinaris) bioassay. Results showed that temperature had a significant effect on herbicide degradation, while the impact of soil organic matter and pH were less well defined. Half-lives for imazapyr, flumetsulam and thifensulfuron in the soil with low organic carbon (3.5%) at 15 oC were 155, 70 and 6.4 days respectively and 77, 24 and 4.8 days at 30oC. In the soil with high organic carbon (6.4%) half-lives were 125, 88 and 5.4 days respectively at 15oC and 69, 30 and 3.8 days at 30oC.