Transformation of the structural organization of clay sediments and soils under the impact of polyelectrolytes

The effects of polyacrylic acid (PAAc) and polyacrylamide (PAA) adsorption by quartz sand, montmorillonite, kaolinite, gray forest soil, and chernozem on the texture of the sorbents were studied. It was shown that the polymolecular adsorption was typical of the applied polyelectrolytes. The addition of PAA in a concentration of 0.05% to the solution resulted in consolidation of the sediments with a decrease in their volume. In the case of montmorillonite, a loose gel precipitate formed; its volume decreased by about 6% during the experiment. The adsorption of polyelectrolytes slightly affected the average radii, total surface area, and volume of the pore space (within 4–20%). The transformation of the surface of minerals and soils under the action of polyelectrolytes resulted in a significant change in the differential pore volume. The number of pores of about 0.0014 μm in size hardly changed at all. However, wider pores (0.011–0.45 μm) appeared. The adsorption of PAAc resulted in the appearance of wide pores (1.6–22.0 μm), and the adsorption of PAA resulted in the appearance of two narrow classes of micropores. A much more even distribution of differential porosity in the range of 3.6–4.5 μm was revealed. Thus, the transformation of the surface of adsorbents by polyelectrolytes led to changes in the pore-size distribution.     

Effect of humic acids,sesquioxides and silica on the pore system of silt aggregates measured by water vapour desorption,mercury intrusion and microtomography

Most of the information on soil aggregation and porosity comes from studies of natural soil in which the effects of the different constituents that form the structure overlap. The aim of this research was to study the effects of these constituents separately on well‐characterized artificial aggregates in order to understand them better. To do this, the pore system of model silt aggregates, amended with different amounts of humic acids, iron and aluminium hydroxides or colloidal silica, was investigated at three levels of magnification with water vapour desorption (nanometre sizes), mercury intrusion (micrometre sizes) and microtomography (tens of micrometres). Humic acid and aluminium hydroxide increased aggregate porosities measured by all methods. An increase in porosity with increasing additions of each constituent was indicated only by water desorption. We did not observe any well‐defined trends in the dynamics of average pore radii. The pore surface fractal dimension determined by mercury intrusion was negatively correlated with that measured by water desorption. The pore system in granular media comprises larger voids joined by narrower necks; therefore, we attempted to relate their sizes with a novel approach that combined microtomography with mercury intrusion and extrusion data. We observed a decrease in the size of pore necks that give access to voids of the same sizes with increasing additions of all constituents. With additions of humic acid this effect was the smallest. The mercury intrusion data showed the formation of separate concretions of iron hydroxides and silica in silt aggregates.     

Reactions of sewage farm soils to different irrigation solutions in a column experiment. 1. Solid phase physicochemical properties

Veränderungen in Rieselfeldböden während eines Säulenversuchs mit unterschiedlichen Beregnungslösungen. 1. Physikochemische Eigenschaften der Festphase In einem 2.5 Jahre dauernden Säulenexperiment wurden die physikochemischen Eigenschaften von zwei Sandböden, eines genutzten sowie eines ehemaligen Rieselfeldes, untersucht. Die Böden wurden gekalkt, beziehungsweise mit unterschiedlichen Beregnungslösungen beaufschlagt. Die Menge an austauschbaren basischen Kationen sowie die Basensättigung beider Böden veränderte sich deutlich während des Experiments. Diese Veränderungen wurden durch Boden-pH-Änderungen verursacht. Die spezifische Oberfläche und die Kationenaustauschkapazität dieser Standorte hängen vom Gehalt an organischer Substanz im Bodenprofil ab. Die Oberflächenladungsdichte war — unabhängig von der Tiefe — in beiden Böden gleich.     

Pore‐system characteristics of pavement seam materials of urban sites

The original light‐brown sandy seam filling of pavements in urban areas turns dark and changes its properties by the time due to various inputs of urban dust. Deposited C_org inputs do mostly not have natural characteristics but are man‐made, e.g., diesel dust. Thus, properties of the seam material are not predictable from experiences with forest or agricultural soils. Semiperviously sealed urban areas are sites of contaminant deposition as well as groundwater recharge. For an assessment of the resulting groundwater‐contamination risk in these areas, the properties of the seam material, which influences transport processes, must be known. The aim of this study was to investigate the pore‐system build‐up, which includes size distribution and fractal character in the seam material of urban sites. The investigated samples were taken from pavements adjacent to roads in Berlin and Warsaw. The micropore parameters (nanometer range) were characterized using water‐vapor desorption isotherms, mesopore parameters (micrometer range) were estimated from mercury‐intrusion porosimetry and macropore parameters (millimeter range) from water‐retention curves. Particle density, dry bulk density, and particle‐size distribution were measured using standard methods. Volumes of micro‐ and mesopores as well as particle densities and dry bulk densities correlated with C_tot contents. However, no such relation was found for macropore volumes. Compared to the original sandy seam filling, the altered seam material shows significantly higher C_org contents and higher amounts of micro‐ and mesopores. Therefore, the available water capacity increases by 0.05–0.11 m³ m^–3, as compared to the original sandy seam filling. Compared to natural sandy soils having similar C_org contents, the seam material shows similar macropore volumes, but the volume of mesopores and micropores is a few times smaller. That is mainly because of the particulate character of the organic matter.     

Water storage,surface, and structural properties of sandy forest humus horizons

In this paper, we tried to find interrelations between water retention properties, surface characteristics, and structural features of sandy soils rich in organic matter. Raw humic, epihumic, and endohumic horizons of four acidic sandy forest soils were selected for this study. Specific areas and water adsorption energies were estimated from water vapor adsorption isotherms, micropore (nanometer range) parameters from desorption isotherms, mesopore (micrometer range) parameters from mercury intrusion porosimetry, and macropore (millimeter range) parameters from water retention curves measured using combined suction plate and pressure chamber methods. In the studied soils, pore volumes in all pore ranges were proportional to soil organic matter content. Thin column wicking technique was used to determine migration velocity vs. time dependence in the samples beds for a range of liquids of various surface tensions. From these dependencies the surface free energy and its components were estimated that were used for calculation of water contact angles and forces of interparticle interaction via a water meniscus. The dominant interactions in the studied soils were dispersive Lifshitz‐Van der Waals forces. In the two upper horizons polar acid‐base interactions were absent, however in the deepest horizons, high input of polar interactions occurred, due practically to electron‐donor component of the surface free energy. The electron‐acceptor contribution was low. The wettability of the soils was low in upper horizons as indicated by high water contact angles.     

Influence of Humic Acid on Water Adsorption Characteristics of Kaolin and Quartz

Water vapor adsorption isotherms were measured for samples of kaolin and quartz amended with different amounts of humic acid extracted from a Cambic Arenosol under forest. Applying the approximation of the adsorption isotherms with the BET equation the monolayer capacities (surface areas) for the studied systems were calculated. For kaolin systems the surface area decreased sharply at low humic acid additions and this slowly increased with the further rise of the humic acid content, whereas for the quartz the increase of surface area was only noted for high humic acid contents. Using an exponential isotherm equation with a local BET model, the adsorption energy distribution functions were calculated for kaolin systems. The shape of the adsorption energy distributions showed that the increase in humic acid content changed the character of the surface from more hydrophilic to more hydrophobic. For intermediate humic acid contents, the energy distribution function had two maxima – more polar and less polar. At high humic acid contents the energy distribution function tended to the estimated value for pure humic acid, indicating high surface coverage with organic material. As measured by the mercury intrusion porosimetry, for the kaolin samples the amount of the largest pores decreases and the amount of the smallest pores increases with the accumulation of humic acid. For the quartz systems only very high doses of humic acid are reflected in changes of pore size distribution.     

Allometric equations for estimating the mass and volume of fresh assimilational apparatus of standing scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees

The increment of trees depends, primarily, on the size of the assimilation apparatus of the crown and its efficiency to produce organic matter. That is why this study undertook to determine the size of the assimilation apparatus of single trees of Pinus sylvestris L. The authors used the mass (ugc) and volume (ugo) of twigs covered with needles in order to estimate the size of the assimilation apparatus. The performed analysis revealed a significant correlation between easy-to-determine tree variables: breast height diameter—d_1.3, height—h and age—w and the ugc and ugo. This correlation served as a basis for the elaboration of equations which allow determining the size of the assimilation apparatus. The empirical material was provided by the results of measurements carried out on 1808 pine trees growing in mesic forest sites typical for this species in western Poland.     

Effect of leaching of DOC on pore characteristic of a sandy soil

Changes of microstructural properties of a sandy soil from a former sewage farm due to the leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were studied. The leaching of DOC at various pH values was induced using sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid solutions. The removal of DOC altered the pore properties of the remaining solid. The average pore radius measured from water vapor desorption isotherms (micropores range) increased with the increase of the removed DOC under alkaline conditions and did practically not alter under acid treatment. The average pore radius measured by the mercury intrusion porosimetry (mesopores range), decreases, however, for low amounts of the DOC extracted and increases on extracting higher DOC amounts. The mesopores appeared to be fractal. At moderate amounts of the DOC leached the finer mesopores occurred having the higher fractal dimensions than the coarser mesopores.