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Rates of Aluminum Dissolution in Acid Sandy Soils Observed in Column Experiments

Dep. of Soil Science and Geology, Agric. Univ., Wageningen (presently, National Inst. of Public Health and Environ. Protection, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands);

Willem H. van Riemsdijk

Dep. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Univ. Wageningen, P.O. Box 8005, 6700 EC, Wageningen, the Netherlands;

René Otjes

Netherlands Energy Foundation, P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten, the Netherlands;

Nico van Breemen

Dep. Soil Science and Geology, Agricultural Univ. Wageningen, P.O. Box 37, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.

^* Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Soil weathering rates were estimated in small, packed soil columns in a controlled chemical environment. Cumulative leaching was described with a simple three-parameter model, easing interpolation and extrapolation of experimental data. Dissolution of Al was the main buffering process in samples from two acid forest soils, viz. a Dystrochrept and Udipsamment. Aluminum-leaching was associated with the presence of "free" Al-oxides, which consist mainly of hydrated oxides of Al. The importance of dissolution of Al-oxides was also indicated by the effect of temperature on the solubility and dissolution rate of Al. Dissolution rates of Al decreased exponentially with Al depletion from the soil sample (mol/kg) and on average increased with (H⁺)^0.7. Depletion of reactive Al-oxides in forest soils as a result of acid atmospheric deposition may be a future environmental problem.

Research sponsored by Dutch Priority Programme on Acidification.

Received for publication July 8, 1991.