Chemistry of Variable Charge Soils (Topics in Sustainable Agronomy)

518 Pages·1997·19.68 MB·English

by  T. R. Yu

Chemistry of Variable
Charge Soils
Topics in Sustainable Agronomy
SERIES EDITORS
Rattan Lal
Pedro Sanchez
Malcolm Sumner
M. E. Swisher
P. B. Tinker
Robert E. White
VOLUMES
T. R. Yu Chemistry of Variable Charge Soils
M.E. Sumner and R. Naidu Sodic Soils: Distribution Properties,
Management, and Environmental Consequences
Chemistry of Variable
Charge Soils
Edited by
T. R. YU
with the assistance of G.L. Ji
and other members of the staff of
the Department of Soil Electrochemistry
Institute of Soil Science
Chinese Academy of Sciences
New York Oxford
Oxford University Press
1997
Oxford University Press
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Copyright © 1997 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
Published by Oxford University Press, Inc.
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
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without prior permission of Oxford University Press.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Yu, T. R.
Chemistry of variable charge soils / T.R. Yu.
p. cm. — (Topics in sustainable agronomy)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-19-509745-9
1. Variable charge soils. I. Title. II. Series.
S592.53.Y85 1996
631.4')—dc20 95-41882
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 42
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
PREFACE
In the vast areas of tropical and subtropical regions there is a category of
widely distributed, highly weathered soils known as "Red Earths," also
referred to as Ferralsols, Acrisols, Oxisols, Ultisols, Latosols, Lateritic Soils,
Krasnozems, Ferrisols, and Ferrallitic Soils. Because of the abundant rainfall
and high temperature, this type of soil is considered one of the most
important agricultural soils in the world. However, because of some
unfavorable properties inherent in these soils, the productivity is generally
low. Proper utilization and melioration of these soils remain an important
problem in agricultural production.
Besides agriculture, soil pollution is becoming an increasingly important
problem following the industrialization in these regions. Since "Red Earths"
are generally low in their buffering capacity against acid precipitation and
other pollutants, the problem presents a series of special features.
From a scientific standpoint, just as most of the characteristics of paddy
soils are related to "water," red earths' characteristic features are closely
related to "red," a visible indication of the presence of the large amounts of
iron oxides. These iron oxides, together with the large amounts of aluminum
oxides, cause the surface charge carried by the clay to become markedly
variable. This is the reason for the name variable charge soils. Because of
this feature, the soils possess certain properties different from those of the
constant charge soils in temperate regions. It would be helpful to have a
comprehensive understanding of the chemical properties of these soils, and
the results from research on these soils can enrich our present knowledge
that comes primarily from research on constant charge soils.
Beginning in 1962 when establishing its electrochemical research, the
Department of Soil Electrochemistry in the Institute of Soil Science of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences chose "Red Earths" as the principal subject
of study. In particular, after the completion of the monograph Physical
Chemistry of Paddy Soils (Yu, 1985; Science Press/Springer-Verlag) in 1982,
the department has concentrated most of its efforts on systematic research
of the chemical properties of variable charge soils.
During the research it was realized that in order to thoroughly study the
chemical phenomena of these soils it was necessary to develop appropriate
research techniques. Therefore, focusing on the characteristics of variable
charge soils, we developed a series of new electrochemical methods that
were described in the monograph, Electrochemical Methods in Soil and
VI
Water Research (Yu and Ji, 1993; Pergamon Press). In retrospect it is clear
that the application of these methods played an important role in helping
us to explore new research fields and to study certain chemical phenomena
not understood previously.
This book summarizes the experience of our research during the past 30
years. The materials cited in the book, except for those referred to in the
literature at the end of each chapter, are previously unpublished data from
our research.
In this book, emphasis is placed on the interactions among charged
particles (clay, ions, protons and electrons) and their chemical consequences
in soils. This is the essence of soil chemistry. Actually, the topics cover most
areas of modern soil chemistry.
It is my hope that this book may help the reader to understand the basic
characteristics of variable charge soils and the fundamental difference
between this kind of soil and constant charge soils. Such an understanding,
when applied to research, may be helpful for further development in this
field.
I wish to express my sincere thanks to Prof. G. Sposito of University of
California at Berkeley and Prof. M. E. Sumner of the University of Georgia
for their help in facilitating the publication of this book. I am thankful to
my colleagues in the Department of Soil Electrochemistry, particularly Prof.
G. L. Ji, currently the head of the department, for their painstaking work
in assisting me to complete the manuscript. I am also grateful to my wife,
Prof. B. H. Li of Nanjing Medical University, for her help in preparing the
typescript. The research was supported by the National Natural Science
Foundation of China.
T. R. Yu
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Permission from the following publishers to reproduce copyrighted material
is gratefully acknowledged:
American Chemical Society for Table 3.1, which appeared in J. Phys.
Chem., 63:1831-1837 (1959).
Blackwell Scientific Publications for Figs. 6.3, 6.10, 6.13, 6.15, 6.16, 13.6,
13.7, which appeared in Journal of Soil Science, 35:471 (Fig. 3), 474 (Fig. 8)
(1984); 38:31 (Figs. 1, 2), 32 (Fig. 3), 33 (Figs. 4, 5) (1987).
Elsevier Science Publishers for Figs. 2.17, 11.21, 13.20, 13.21, 13.22, 13.23,
13.24, 13.25, which appeared in Geoderma, 32:290 (Figs. 1, 2), 291 (Fig. 3),
292 (Fig. 4), 293 (Fig. 5), 294 (Fig. 6) (1984) ; 44:282 (Fig. 5), 283 (Fig. 6)
(1989).
International Society of Soil Science for Figs. 3.23, 13.13, 13.15, 13.16,
13.17, 13.18, 13.19, which appeared in Transactions of 14th International
Congress of Soil Science, pp. II-64 (Fig. 1), II-65 ( Figs. 2A, 2B), II-66 (Fig.
3), II-72 (Fig. 2) (1990).
Springer-Verlag for Figs. 11.23, 11.29, 13.2, 13.8, 13.10, 13.11, 13.12, 14.1,
14.4, 14.6, 14.7, 14.10, which appeared in Physical Chemistry of Paddy Soils
(Yu Tian-ren, ed.) (1985), pp. 14 (Fig. 1.9), 15 (Fig. 1.10), 29 (Fig. 2.2), 31
(Fig. 2.3), 35 (Fig. 2.8), 39 (Fig. 2.14), 76 (Fig. 4.1), 78 (Fig. 4.2), 81 (Fig.
4.5), 88 (Fig. 4.8), 149 (Fig. 7.17), 152 (Fig. 7.19).
VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH for Figs. 5.1, 5.4, 5.5, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4,
12.5, 12.10, 12.15, which appeared in Z. fur Pflanzenemahrung und
Bodenkunde, 144:518 (Fig. 1), 519 (Fig. 2) (1981); 149:602 (Fig. 4) , 603
(Fig. 5), 604 (Fig. Fig. 7) (1986); 150:19 (Figs. 1, 2) (1986).
Williams & Wilkins for Figs. 8.17, 8.18, 8.24, 8.25, 8.26, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4,
9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, 9.9, 9.10, 9.11, 9.12, 9.13, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6,
10.7, 10.9, 10.10, 10.11, 10.12, 10.13, 10.14, 10.15, 10.16, 10.17, 10.18, 11.20,
which appeared in Soil Science 139:169 (Fig. 7) (1985); 144:405 (Fig. 3)
(1987); 147:38 (Figs. 4, 5), 92 (Figs. 1, 2, 3), 93 (Fig. 4), 175 (Fig. 1), 176
(Fig. 2) (1989); 150:832 (Fig. 2), 833 (Fig. 3) (1990); 151:438 (Figs. 1, 2),
439 (Figs. 3, 4), 440 (Figs. 5, 6, 7) (1991); 152:27 (Fig. 1), 28 (Fig. 2), 29
(Figs. 3, 4, 5), 30 (Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9), 31 (Fig. 10) (1991).
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CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Introduction 3
T. R. Yu
1.1 Scope of Soil Chemistry 3
1.2 Characteristics of Variable Charge Soils 6
1.3 Types of Variable Charge Soils 8
1.4 Significance of Chemistry of Variable Charge Soils 14
Bibliography 15
Chapter 2 Surface Charge 17
X. N. Zhang and A. Z. Zhao
2.1 Charged Surface 17
2.2 Contribution of Soil Components to Surface Charge 29
2.3 Influence of Environmental Factors on Surface Charge 40
2.4 Surface Charge and Soil Type 51
Bibliography 60
Chapter 3 Electrostatic Adsorption of Cations 64
G. L. Ji and H. Y. Li
3.1 Mechanism of Electrostatic Adsorption of Cations 64
3.2 Factors Affecting adsorption 70
3.3 Dissociation of Adsorbed Cations 80
3.4 Competitive Adsorption of Potassium Ions with Sodium Ions 86
3.5 Competitive Adsorption of Potassium Ions with Calcium Ions 95
3.6 Concluding Remarks 107
Bibliography 109
Chapter 4 Electrostatic Adsorption of Anions 112
G. L. Ji
4.1 Properties of Anions Relating to Electrostatic Adsorption 112
4.2 Factors Affecting Electrostatic Adsorption of Anions 115
4.3 Negative Adsorption 124
4.4 Mechanisms of Adsorption of Anions 127
Bibliography 137
Chapter 5 Specific Adsorption of Cations 140
T. R. Yu, H. Y. Sun, and H. Zhang
5.1 Principles of Specific Adsorption of Cations 140
5.2 Factors Affecting Adsorption by Soils 146
5.3 Consequences of Specific Adsorption 160
Bibliography 170
Chapter 6 Coordination Adsorption of Anions 175
G. Y. Zhang and T. R. Yu
6.1 Principles of Coordination Adsorption of Anions 176
6.2 Coordination Adsorption by Soil Components 180