HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Artieda, O. Articles by Drohan, P. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Artieda, O. Articles by Drohan, P. J. GeoRef GeoRef Citation Agricola Articles by Artieda, O. Articles by Drohan, P. J. Related Collections Soil Classification and Mapping Soil Analysis Soil Chemistry

Pedology Note

Refinement of the Differential Water Loss Method for Gypsum Determination in Soils

^a Univ. of Extremadura, 10600 Plasencia, Cáceres, Spain
^b Soils and Irrigation Dep., Agri-Research Center of Aragon, P.O. Box 727, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain
^c Pine Lake Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY 13820-4020

^* Corresponding author (jhi{at}aragon.es)

Determining the gypsum content in soil is lengthy and cumbersome using methods based on SO₄ determination. Moreover, as these methods do not strictly titrate gypsum, inaccuracies can be produced by the presence of sulfate minerals other than gypsum. The thermogravimetric properties of gypsum, however, allow determination of its content in a rapid and easy way sufficiently accurate for many pedologic purposes. Our objective was to expand the lower limit of gypsum detection to make the test useful for soil classification and management. We have refined the differential water loss method by estimating the gypsum percentage from the loss of water in the soil sample between 70 and 90°C. Our results, compared with gravimetric determinations of precipitated BaSO₄, found coefficients of determination of 0.98 for gypsum contents ranging from 2 to 50%, and 0.99 for contents >50%. The method is valid for gypsum contents >2% and thus improves previous estimation procedures.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Herrero, O. Artieda, and W.H. Hudnall Gypsum, a Tricky Material Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., September 11, 2009; 73(6): 1757 - 1763. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Lebron, J. Herrero, and D.A. Robinson Determination of Gypsum Content in Dryland Soils Exploiting the Gypsum-Bassanite Phase Change Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., February 6, 2009; 73(2): 403 - 411. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]