Zirconium-Modified Activated Sludge as a Low-Cost Adsorbent for Phosphate Removal in Aqueous Solution

A highly effective zirconium-modified activated sludge (Zr(IV)-AS) adsorbent was prepared from activated sludge and applied to remove phosphate from aqueous solutions by batch and column experiments. Characterized results revealed that zirconium was successfully loaded onto the activated sludge (AS), and the specific surface area and pore volume were substantially improved after zirconium loading on the AS. Zr(IV)-AS exhibited a high adsorption affinity for phosphate and the maximum adsorption amount was 27.55 mg P·g^?1 at 25 °C. Adsorption isotherms of phosphate could be described by the Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second-order model. Phosphate adsorption on Zr(IV)-AS increased monotonically with decreasing solution pH. The presence of SO₄^2? in water resulted in slightly decreased phosphate adsorption on the adsorbent even at a high concentration (25 mmol/L), and a greater influence of HCO₃^? on adsorption could be ascribed to the increased solution pH with the addition of the HCO₃^?. Column adsorption experimental results showed that the adsorbent has excellent phosphate adsorption properties and that the effluent can meet the requirement of phosphorus in the national wastewater discharge standard of China. Phosphate-saturated Zr(IV)-AS can be effectively desorbed in 0.1 mol L^?1 NaOH solution, and the regenerated adsorbent still possessed the high capacity. The adsorption between the adsorbent and the phosphate is due to the electrostatic interaction and anionic exchange at the surface of the Zr(IV)-AS. Furthermore, this approach provides a possibility of treating wastewater with waste and has the potential for industrial applications for the removal of phosphate from wastewater.     

Simultaneous Removal of Phosphate and Nitrate in Wastewater Using High-Capacity Anion-Exchange Resin

The removal of nutrients in wastewater is a critical issue in water treatment because released nutrients can cause serious adverse effects in water systems or the aquatic environment. In this study, a high-performing polymeric anion-exchange resin was developed for the removal of nutrients from wastewater. The resins were prepared by chloromethylation followed by amination under preferred conditions. The resins were investigated for the removal of nutrients such as phosphate, nitrate, and fluoride from water. The density of functional groups on the synthesized resin was approximately 33?% higher than on commercialized resins, and the specific surface area of synthesized resin was increased by approximately tenfold compared with commercialized resins. The adsorption capacity of synthesized resins (AMP16-FeCl₃) for anions was 285.8?mg/g, which was approximately three times higher than the capacity of commercialized resin (AMP16-OH). A study of the effects of the types of counterions and functional groups found that resins having hydroxide ion as a counterion showed higher capacity and selectivity for phosphate ion and that dimethylethanolamine as a resin functional group of resin was more efficient than trimethylamine.     

Adsorption of glycerophosphate on goethite (α‐FeOOH): A macroscopic and infrared spectroscopic study

Adsorption, desorption, and precipitation reactions at environmental interfaces govern the bioavailability, mobility, and fate of organic phosphates in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Glycerophosphate (GP) is a common environmental organic phosphate, however, surface adsorption reactions of GP on soil minerals have not been well understood. The adsorption characteristics of GP on goethite were studied using batch adsorption experiments, zeta (ζ) potential measurements, and in situ attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR). GP exhibited fast initial adsorption kinetics on goethite, followed by a slow adsorption. The maximum adsorption densities of GP on goethite were 2.00, 1.95, and 1.44 μmol m^?2 at pH 3, 5, and 7, respectively. Batch experiments showed decreased adsorption of GP with increasing pH from 3 to 10. Zeta potential measurements showed a remarkable decrease in the goethite isoelectric point upon GP adsorption (from 9.2 to 5.5), suggesting the formation of inner‐sphere surface complexes. In addition, the ATR‐FTIR spectra of GP sorbed on goethite were different from those of free GP at various pH values. These results suggested that GP was bound to goethite through the phosphate group by forming inner‐sphere surface complexes.     

Testing a mechanistic model. III. The effects of pH on fluoride retention by a soil

The pH of a soil was altered by incubating it with either lime or acid at 60°C for 1 day. Subsamples were then mixed with fluoride solutions in order to measure the effects of pH on fluoride retention. The results were compared with those previously obtained with phosphate on the same soil. At equal concentration of total fluorine in solution, fluoride retention was greatest at about pH 5.5 and decreased at both lower and higher pH. The decrease at low pH appeared to be caused by the formation of complexes between fluoride and aluminium in solution. As a result, only a small proportion of the total fluorine in solution was present as fluoride ions. At equal concentrations of fluoride ions, fluoride retention decreased with increasing pH. It was shown that this decrease could be explained by decreases in the electrostatic potential of the variable charge materials. The decrease in potential was steeper than that required to describe phosphate retention. This is consistent with the plane of adsorption of fluoride ions being closer to the plane of adsorption of H⁺ and OH^? ions.     

Speciation in metal contaminated soils as revealed by an ion exchange resin membrane fractionation procedure

Abstract

Ion exchangers have proven to be a useful tool in the study of metal speciation in aquatic environments, but have seen little application in the study of metal behavior in soil environments. The labile metal species in polluted soils were evaluated by equilibrating soil suspensions with ion exchange resin membranes of different types at pH values ranging from 3 to 9. The total soluble metal content of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) contaminated Western Canadian soils was subdivided into (i) low‐pH labile, (ii) weak‐acid labile, (iii) weak‐base labile, (iv) high‐pH labile, and (v) non‐adsorbable forms using cation and anion exchange membranes. Soil suspension is mixed overnight with different types of resin membranes and the cations transferred from the soil are subsequently eluted from the membranes using 1N HCl. The HCl extract is then analyzed for Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb. The aqueous phase remaining in contact with the soil residue is considered the amount of released non‐labile, non‐adsorbable species. The low‐pH labile fraction constituted the largest proportion of the added metal in poorly buffered (sandy) soils. Weak‐acid and base labile fractions were typically highest in highly buffered soils. Clearly, metal contaminated soils most likely to cause environmental damage are sandy textured soils subject to acidification, although the production of chelating substances by roots and microorganisms may also mobilize considerable quantities of metal in soils of high clay content.     

Immobilization of phosphate by a Technosol spolic silandic: kinetics,equilibrium and dependency on environmental variables

Purpose

Phosphorus is an essential element that at high concentrations generates eutrophication of aquatic systems. In this study, we used batch and continuous tests to evaluate the efficiency of a Technosol to retain the phosphorus present (as phosphate) in aqueous samples.

Materials and methods

Phosphate sorption on Technosol was studied through batch and continuous experiments. Sorption kinetics and isotherms were investigated at different phosphate loadings and pH. In batch tests, we have determined how the presence of different anions (bicarbonate, sulphate, chloride, chromate and molybdate) affected phosphate retention. In continuous flow systems, phosphate immobilization was assessed as a function of flow rate, pH and Technosol concentration. Finally, the potential reutilization of the column was evaluated using consecutive sorption-desorption cycles.

Results and discussion

Phosphate sorption follows a pseudo-second-order kinetics model and a Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum sorption capacity ranged from 7.1 to 18.5 mg g^?1, with larger values obtained at the highest pH. The main mechanisms involved in the sorption process were precipitation (as Ca-P minerals) and surface adsorption. In the column experiments, we observed a sorption reduction from 6.19?±?0.06 to 2.37?±?0.06 mg g^?1 as the flow rate increased from 1.5 to 5.0 mL min^?1. In addition, the retention capacity decreased by 14% when the height of the reactive layer was halved. Finally, the retention capacity of the Technosol spolic silandic recovered well after several sorption-desorption cycles, reaching 40% of the original value after first and second cycles.

Conclusions

The material effectively retained phosphate in batch and continuous flow systems. The Technosol spolic silandic is considered an efficient sorbent to remove the excess of phosphate from the soil solution and the aqueous system. This material may be a useful tool to mitigate or minimize two important environmental problems: eutrophication and the scarcity of natural sources of phosphate. The Technosol can thus be recycled as a phosphate-rich amendment and the leachates can be used to produce liquid fertilizer.

     

A Study on Al(III) and Fe(II) Ions Sorption by Cattle Manure Vermicompost

Cattle manure vermicompost has been used for the adsorption of Al(III) and Fe(II) from both synthetic solution and kaolin industry wastewater. The optimum conditions for Al(III) and Fe(II) adsorption at pH?2 (natural pH of the wastewater) were particle size of ≤250?µm, 1 g/10 mL adsorbent dose, contact time of 4 h, and temperature of 25°C. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms fitted reasonably well in the experimental data, and their constants were evaluated, with R ² values from 0.90 to 0.98. In synthetic solution, the maximum adsorption capacity of the vermicompost for Al(III) was 8.35 mg g^?1 and for Fe(II) was 16.98 mg g^?1 at 25°C when the vermicompost dose was 1 g 10 mL^?1, and the initial adjusted pH was 2. The batch adsorption studies of Al(III) and Fe(II) on vermicompost using kaolin wastewater have shown that the maximum adsorption capacities were 1.10 and 4.30 mg g^?1, respectively, at pH?2. The thermodynamic parameter, the Gibbs free energy, was calculated for each system, and the negative values obtained confirm that the adsorption processes were spontaneous.     

农用聚磷酸铵在土壤中的有效性研究进展及在农业上的应用

近年来,农用聚磷酸铵作为一种新型肥料逐渐进入我国化肥领域,常用作高浓度液体复合肥料的基础磷肥。聚磷酸铵pH值近中性,结晶温度低,具有螯合性、缓释性,有着很大发展空间。本文综述了聚磷酸铵在土壤中有效性(溶解性与移动性)的影响因素,重点分析水解速率、土壤矿物、土壤质地与水分对聚磷酸铵在土壤中的有效性,并分析聚磷酸铵在农业上的应用与发展前景。     

基于不同分析方法研究磷酸根在矿物表面吸附机制的进展

磷素是植物生长必需的营养元素,也是联系生态系统中生物与非生物作用的关键元素。对磷酸根在矿物表面吸附反应机制的深入认识,有助于了解其在陆地和水环境中的形态、迁移、转化和生物有效性。本文主要综述了磷酸根在常见(土壤)矿物表面吸附机制的研究进展。各种分析技术或方法,如OH–释放量分析、Zeta电位分析(电泳迁移率测试)、等温滴定量热法、原子力显微镜、X射线光电子能谱、红外光谱、核磁共振波谱、X射线吸收光谱、表面络合模型、量子化学计算等,均以不同方式揭示磷酸根在不同矿物体系的吸附机制。磷酸根在矿物(尤其是铁、铝氧化物)表面的吸附通常伴随着水基和羟基的交换。一般认为磷酸根在矿物表面主要形成双齿双核、单齿单核内圈络合物,且受pH的影响较大。pH以及磷酸根在矿物表面的吸附密度影响内圈络合物的质子化状态。在低pH、高磷浓度、较高反应温度、较长吸附时间,以及弱晶质矿物吸附等条件下矿物表面吸附的磷可在矿物表面转化形成含磷的表面沉淀,造成矿物溶解转化以及磷生物有效性的进一步降低。最后展望了磷酸盐在矿物-水界面吸附有关的研究热点和方向。     

Competitive and noncompetitive adsorption of silicate and phosphate by two acid Si-deficient soils and their effects on P and Si extractability

The effects of pH on the adsorption of silicate and phosphate, either singly or in competition, by two acid soils were investigated. Both soils adsorbed two to three times more P than Si and adsorption isotherms at pH 5.0, 5.5, 6.0 and 6.5 showed that increasing pH greatly increased Si adsorption but decreased that of P. Silicate adsorption was very low below pH 5.0, increased rapidly up to pH 9–10 before decreasing again. Adsorption of P was at a maximum at pH 2.0, decreased slowly up to pH 7.0 and then more rapidly above pH 7.0. When Si and P were added at equimolar concentrations, the presence of P decreased Si adsorption between pH 6.0 and 8.0 while the presence of Si decreased P adsorption in the pH region 6.0 and 11. Addition of calcium silicate at rates equivalent to 300, 600 and 1200 kg Si ha^?1 resulted in a progressive increase in soil pH. Separate samples of soil were treated with Ca(OH)₂ to give the same pH values so that the effect of Si could be identified. The highest rate of Si (1200 kg ha^?1 which gave a pH of 6.5) caused a significant decrease in P adsorption (as determined by adsorption isotherms) and an increase in resin-extractable P but the lower rates had little effect. Addition of P to the soil as calcium phosphate at rates equivalent to 30, 60 and 100 kg P ha^?1 all caused a decrease in Si adsorption capacity and an increase in CaCl₂-extractable Si. It was concluded that the strategy of adding Si to lower P requirements in acid soils is not likely to be effective while addition of fertilizer P may well lower Si adsorption and promote Si desorption and its increased mobility.     

THE INTERACTION OF PHOSPHATE WITH AN ANION EXCHANGE RESIN

Phosphate adsorbed on an anion exchange resin was titrated with sodium hydroxide. The inflection point which corresponds to the second pK value of phosphoric acid in solution, was lowered 0.9 pH-unit when the acid was absorbed on the resin. This shift was fully explained by the exclusion of H⁺ from the resin due to a Donnan equilibrium. The adsorption characteristic of the single and double charged phosphate ion on an anion exchange resin was examined at different pH values and phosphate:resin ratios. A model was suggested for the observed adsorption pattern.     

Radiation Synthesis of Poly(Acrylamide-Acrylic Acid-Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate) Resin and Its Use for Binding of Some Anionic Dyes

Poly(acrylamide-acrylic acid-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) P(AAm-AA-DMAEMA) resin was prepared by the template copolymerization. PAAm was used as a template for the copolymerization of DMAEMA and AA in aqueous solution using gamma rays. The adsorption of indigo carmine and eriochrome black-T anionic dyes from aqueous media on P(AAm-AA-DMAEMA) has been investigated. The adsorption behavior of this resin has been studied under different adsorption conditions: dye concentrations (50?C500 mg l^?1), contact times, temperature (30?C55°C), and pH values (2?C7). The amount of dye adsorbed increased with increasing resin content, but it had a little change with temperature and decreased slightly with increasing pH. Adsorption data of the samples were modeled by the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic equations in order to investigate dye adsorption mechanism. It was found that the adsorption kinetics of the resin followed a pseudo-second-order model with rate constant (k ₂) of 2.5?×?10^?3 and 1.8?×?10^?2 g (mg^?1 min^?1) for indigo carmine and eriochrome black-T, respectively. Equilibrium isotherms were analyzed using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. It was seen that the Freundlich model fits the adsorption data better than the Langmuir model.     

Implications of municipal wastewater irrigation on soil health from a study in Bangladesh

This study evaluated soil health in fields of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Shatabdi) and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) irrigated by different blends of municipal wastewater (hereafter called wastewater). The crops were grown with and without added fertilizers over three consecutive years. The wastewater contained high concentrations of organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulphur (S), zinc (Zn) and boron (B). It also contained negligible concentrations of a few heavy metals. Irrigation by wastewater resulted in an increase in the porosity of the surface soil and thus a reduced bulk density. Wastewater enhanced the saturated hydraulic conductivity and water retention capacity of the soils. The organic carbon, total N, available P and S, and exchangeable Na, K, Ca and Mg of the soils increased proportionately with the quantity of applied wastewater. C, N and K increased significantly (α = 0.05) when fields were irrigated using raw wastewater after applied fertilizers; the other elements accumulated in the soil insignificantly under both fertility levels. Electrical conductivity (EC) and pH of the upper 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil layers increased with the application of wastewater; the increase was significant only under raw wastewater irrigation. In the 40–60 cm soil layer, both EC and pH remained unchanged. The applied inorganic fertilizers raised EC but reduced soil pH. The wastewater contained large counts of total coliform (TC: 17.2 × 10⁶ cfu/100 mL) and faecal coliform (FC: 13.4 × 10³ cfu/100 mL). Irrigation using municipal wastewater is proposed for improving soil fertility as well as for alleviating water scarcity with the exception of some crops whose edible parts come in direct contact with wastewater and/or are eaten uncooked.     

Cadmium and zinc additions to wisconsin soils by commercial fertilizers and wastewater sludge application

Cadmium and Zn concentrations were determined on 21 commercial fertilizer samples by atomic absorption. The Cd concentration ranged from 1.5 to 9.7 mg kg^?1, the median being 4.3 mg kg^?1. Zinc showed a much wider range. The Cd added to soil by commercial fertilizers may be as much as 2150 kg annually in Wisconsin, compared to a potential of 1700 kg if wastewater sludges from all municipal sewage treatment plants in the state were disposed of on land. However, because of the higher application rates, sludge Cd on a soil concentration basis is a much more concentrated source of Cd than that from phosphate fertilizers.     

Distribution Coefficient and Adsorption–desorption Rates of di (2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) onto and from the Surface of Suspended Particles in Fresh Water

The commonly used plastic softener, di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), also a known Endocrine Disrupting Compound, was found contaminated in various aquatic environments, including river water in Thailand. The data of adsorption kinetics from this study indicated that DEHP can adsorb onto pure bentonite and natural suspended sediment with average adsorption rate constants of 0.0056 and 0.0039 min^?1 respectively. The average distribution coefficients between suspended particles and water found in this study for pure bentonite and natural suspended sediment were 0.045 and 0.043 l g^?1 respectively. Although the studies were carried out in pH 4.0, 7.0 and 10.0, there were no obvious influences of pH on adsorption rates and distribution coefficients of DEHP onto both pure bentonite and natural suspended particles. The desorption rate was very small and was estimated to be less than 0.03 μg min^?1. The results indicated that suspended sediment could become a long term release of DEHP and facilitate the transport of DEHP mainly due to fast adsorption rate and relatively high adsorption capacity.     

Mechanisms of phosphate retention by calcite: effects of magnesium and pH

Purpose

Sorption and precipitation of phosphate are important processes in controlling fate of phosphorus (P) in P-fertilized soils, especially those affected by magnesium (Mg) ions.

Materials and methods

The interaction between Mg(II) (0.42 and 8.33 mM) ions and phosphate (0.32 and 6.45 mM) at the calcite–water interface were investigated with various pH values from 6.0 to 12.0, using a combination of sorption envelopes, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction.

Results and discussion

Amorphous calcium phosphate, dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, and hydroxyapatite are formed at high phosphate concentration (6.45 mM) and high pH (>8.0). The presence of low Mg(II) ion level (0.42 mM) had little effect on phosphate sorption. When Mg(II) ions increased to 8.33 mM, phosphate retention was inhibited in the weak acid condition since incorporation of Mg(II) ions kinetically hinders precipitation resulting in greater solubility of calcium phosphate while high pH favors Mg adsorption to provide more =Mg sites and OH functional groups on the surface of calcite, which enhanced the formation of Mg–P phases. The likely mechanism is attributed to the different surface terminations of calcite sorbed by phosphate at pH?<?8.0 and pH?>?8.0 in the presence of Mg(II) ions.

Conclusions

Our experimental results suggested that soil pH, initial concentration of phosphate, and the presence of Mg(II) ions and calcite play an important role to affect the fate of phosphate in P-fertilized soils.     

Adsorptive Potential of 2-Mercaptobenzimidazole-Immobilized Organophilic Hydrotalcite for Mercury(II) Ions from Aqueous Phase and Its Kinetic and Equilibrium Profiles

An organophilic calcined hydrotalcite (OHTC) was prepared by treating calcined hydrotalcite (HTC) with sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate (an anionic surfactant) to achieve a high loading of thiol functionality through the immobilization of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI) as a chelating agent. The adsorbent (MBI-OHTC) obtained was characterized using XRD, FTIR, SEM, TG/DTG, surface area analysis and potentiometric titration. The adsorption of MBI-OHTC to remove Hg(II) ions from aqueous solutions was studied as a function of pH, contact time, metal ion concentration, ionic strength and adsorbent dose. The optimum pH range for the maximum removal of Hg(II) was 6.0–8.0. The maximum value of Hg(II) adsorption was found to be 11.63 and 21.52 mg g^?1 for an initial concentration of 25 and 50 mg l^?1, respectively at pH 8.0. The equilibrium conditions were achieved within 3 h under the mixing conditions employed. A reversible pseudo-first-order used to test the adsorption kinetics. The adsorption mechanism consisted of external diffusion and intraparticle diffusion and the intraparticle mass transfer diffusion was predominated after 20 min of experiment. Extent of adsorption decreased with increase of ionic strength. The experimental isotherm was analyzed with two parameters (Langmuir and Freundlich) and three parameters (Redlich–Peterson) equations. The isotherm data were best modeled by the Freundlich isotherm equation. Complete removal (≈100%) of Hg(II) from 1.0 l of chlor-alkali industry wastewater containing 9.86 mg Hg(II) ions, was possible with 3 g of the adsorbent dose at pH 8.0. About 95.0% of Hg(II) can be recovered from the spent adsorbent using 0.1 M HCl.     

Agronomic effectiveness of partially acidulated phosphate rock fertilizers in an allophanic soil at near‐neutral pH

Abstract

The agronomic effectiveness of five partially acidulated phosphate rocks (PAPRs) and an unground phosphate rock (PR) were compared against single superphosphate (SSP) in a glasshouse experiment using a high phosphorus (P) retention soil at a near‐neutral pH (pH 6.5), and corn (Zea mays L.) as the test crop. The PAPRs were prepared by acidulating unground North Carolina PR with either phosphoric or sulphuric acid (expressed as Phos‐PAPR and SA‐PAPR, respectively) and at three levels of acidulation (20, 33, and 50%). The relative agronomic effectiveness (RAE) and substitution value (SV) of the test fertilizers, calculated with respect to SSP using the standard “vertical”; and “horizontal”; comparisons, showed that 50% phosphoric acidulated PAPR performed as effectively as SSP whereas the other fertilizers were less effective. The PR treatment showed a small yield response. The dry matter yield and P uptake were linearly related to water‐soluble P of the fertilizers up to 66% of total P and there was no advantage in acidulating fertilizers above this level of water‐soluble P using reactive PR. Whereas very little of the directly‐applied PR dissolved (3.4% of PR applied), PR applied as a component of PAPRs dissolved up to 22%. The dissolved proportion of added PR component increased with increasing water‐soluble P content of the fertilizer. The results suggest a greater efficiency of PAPR than SSP as a P supplier to plants.     

支持电解质浓度对磷酸根在可变电荷土壤表面吸附和解吸的影响

研究了离子强度对2种可变电荷土壤中磷酸根吸附和解吸的影响。结果表明,当pH分别大于3.7和4.0时,红壤和砖红壤对磷酸根的吸附量随离子强度的增加而增加;当pH分别小于3.7和4.0时,红壤和砖红壤对磷酸根的吸附量随离子强度呈相反的变化趋势。电解质主要通过改变离子专性吸附面上的电位来影响磷酸根的吸附。Zeta电位的测定结果表明,当pH大于土壤胶体的等电点(IEP)时,吸附面上电位为负值,且随离子强度增加数值减小,对磷酸根的排斥力减小,土壤表面对磷酸根的吸附量增加;当pH小于IEP时,吸附面上的电位为正值,它随离子强度增加而减小,不利于磷酸根的吸附。解吸实验的结果表明,吸附于可变电荷土壤表面的磷酸根在去离子水中的解吸量高于0.1 mol L-1NaNO3体系中的解吸量。这同样由于电解质浓度对土壤表面吸附面上的电位的影响所致。     

Effects of air-drying on the adsorption and desorption of phosphate and levels of extractable phosphate in a group of acid soils,New Zealand

The effects of air-drying field-moist soils on the adsorption and desorption of added phosphate and on the levels of extractable native soil phosphate were examined using the A and B horizons of a group of four acid soils.Air-drying increased the capacity of all the soil samples to adsorb phosphate. At an equilibrium solution concentration of 0.5 μg P ml^?1, the increase in the quantity of phosphate adsorbed following drying ranged from 23% to 70% of that adsorbed by the moist samples. Considerable hysteresis in phosphate adsorption—desorption isotherms was observed for both moist and dried soil samples indicating that the additional phosphate adsorbed by the dried samples was held with the same strength as that held by the moist samples.Air-drying the soil samples caused a small decrease in soil pH of approximately 0.1 pH unit and a general increase in levels of EDTA-extractable Fe, Al and organic matter. Quantities of native soil phosphate extractable with EDTA, resin and NaHCO₃ were also increased. Concentrations of oxalate- and pyrophosphate-extractable Fe and Al and exchangeable Al were, however, unaffected by drying.It was also shown that when the phosphate content of NaHCO₃ extracts is measured using the conventional molybdenum blue method, orthophosphate plus a differing amount of acid-hydrolysable organic P present in the extract is measured.