Affinity constants and behavior of Cd sorption in some acid soils

Cadmium sorption was studied in several acidic soils in a pH range from 4.5 to 6.5. The soils had two classes of surfaces with acidity constants (pKa₁ = 4.09 and pKa₂ = 6.39) similar to those for weakly and very weakly cidic carboxyls, and N-containing groups in fulvic acid. Titratable H and acidity constants were used to estimate the number of exchange sites at each pH level. Sorption of Cd was closely related to Cd concentration, pH, and soil type. Although the inclusion of pH and organic C contents in a regression accounted for some variations in the Cd distribution coefficient defined as the ratio of the quantity of Cd sorbed to the solution Cd concentration, the number of sorption sites was a more appropriate factor to explain the variability. Because of a negligible contribution to the number of exchange sites from Fe oxides, the sorption of Cd at pH = 4.5 was considered to be of a one-surface Langmuir type. A two-surface Langmuir equation was considered to model sorption at higher pH values. The average affinity constants (log K) were 3.61 and 4.89 for Cd sorption by the two classes of surfaces.