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DIVISION S-2—SOIL CHEMISTRY

Selectivities of Potassium-Calcium and Potassium-Lead Exchange in Two Tropical Soils

^a Earth and Soil Sciences Dep., Cal Poly State Univ., San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
^b Dep. of Soil and Water Science, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0290

^* Corresponding author (cappel{at}calpoly.edu).

Measurement of cation selectivity in soils provides important information about the affinity and binding strength of a particular cation on soil surfaces. Gaines-Thomas (K_GT) selectivity coefficients were determined for a variety of K/Ca and K/Pb ratios on an Oxisol and Ultisol soil from Puerto Rico. The calculated K_GT values indicated a preference for K⁺ over Ca²⁺ or Pb²⁺. The selectivity for Pb²⁺ was significantly greater than that for Ca²⁺ due to Pb²⁺'s larger hydrated charge density relative to that of Ca²⁺. The patterns of selectivity were independent of metal type. The selectivity of the Oxisol for Ca²⁺ or Pb²⁺ exhibited no trend and changed little with changes in divalent metal surface coverage. The Ultisol displayed a decrease in selectivity for Ca²⁺ and Pb²⁺ with increasing surface coverage of these ions. This was attributed to the presence of smectite in the Ultisol, which was able to partially collapse when K⁺ saturated. Some of the Pb sorption in the soils was due to chemisorption. The Oxisol chemisorbed 3000 mg Pb kg^-1 while that value for the Ultisol was 1900 mg kg^-1. The differences were due to the greater quantities of Fe/Al oxides and organic matter in the Oxisol relative to the Ultisol. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) spectroscopy detected discrete Pb-C phase in both soils. The C was from organic matter. Under experimental conditions, any Pb-carbonate phase would not have been stable. It was possible Pb was associated with organic sulfhydral groups. The selectivity exhibited by soil systems for various nutrient and heavy metals is important in elucidating how available these metals will be for plant/animal uptake as well as their mobility and stability in the soil environment.

Abbreviations: AAS, atomic adsorption spectroscopy • CEC, cation exchange capacity • EDX, energy dispersive X-ray • I, ionic strength • K_sp, solubility product constant • K_GT, Gaines-Thomas selectivity coefficient • PDI, potential determining ions • pK_H, negative log of the hydrolysis constant • RAF-Pb, readily available fraction of lead • SEM, scanning electron microscopy • TGA, thermal gravimetric analysis • XRD, X-ray diffraction • G_EX°, standard Gibbs free energy of exchange • H_hyd, hydration energy • % R, percent recovery