Incubation of Dried and Sieved Soils Can Induce Calcium Phosphate Precipitation/Adsorption

Abstract

Soil incubations are a common practice typically employed in assessing the effect of some treatment on the availability and solubility of phosphorus (P). However, standard sample preparation (drying and sieving) can alter soil chemical and physical properties, resulting in possible changes in P behavior upon soil incubation. Sixty surface soil samples were collected, air dried, and sieved before being incubated at field capacity for 7days. After incubation, soils were allowed to air dry and were analyzed along with nonincubated samples for pH and water‐ and Mehlich‐3‐extractable elements. Incubation increased pH and decreased water‐soluble P, calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) relative to nonincubated soils. Increases in pH may have been due to increased solubility of residual calcium carbonates by drying and sieving. This increase in pH among soils with sufficient levels of P, Ca, and Mg resulted in the formation of Ca and Mg phosphates as confirmed by chemical speciation modeling.     

Assessing the bioavailability of dissolved organic phosphorus in pasture and cultivated soils treated with different rates of nitrogen fertiliser

A proportion of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) in soil leachates is readily available for uptake by aquatic organisms and, therefore, can represent a hazard to surface water quality. A study was conducted to characterise DOP in water extracts and soil P fractions of lysimeter soils (pasture before and after, and cultivated soil after leaching to simulate a wet winter-autumn) from a field trial. Data on DOP in drainage waters from the field trial were also generated. In water extracts, used as a surrogate for soil solution and drainage water, 70-90% of the total dissolved P (TDP) concentration was made up of DOP, of which 40% was hydrolysable by phosphatase enzymes. Proportions of hydrolysable DOP to TDP in drainage waters of the field trial were less than in water extracts due to enhanced DRP loss via dung inputs, but still large at 35% of DOP. Analysis of lysimeter soils by sequential fractionation indicated that several organic P fractions changed with land use and due to leaching. Further investigation using NaOH-EDTA extracts and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicated that the greatest changes were a decrease in the concentrations of orthophosphate diester P and an increase in orthophosphate monoester P. This was attributed to mineralization by cultivation and plant roots and also to the leaching of mobile diester P. This study suggests that in such soils with a dynamic soil organic P pool, the concentration of readily bioavailable P in soil solution and drainage waters and the potential to impair surface water quality cannot be determined from the DRP concentration alone.     

Concentrations of 60 elements in the soil solution as related to the soil acidity

Little is known about solubility and soil solution concentrations of most elements occurring in the solid phase of soils. This study reports changes in solution concentrations of 60 mineral elements following CaCO₃ addition to a moderately acid semi‐natural soil, and possible mechanisms accounting for the differing solubility patterns as related to soil acidity are discussed. Soil solutions were obtained by high‐speed centrifuging and ultrafiltration (0.2 μm) of samples at 60% water‐holding capacity of the A horizon of a Cambisol developed from a shale–gneiss moraine and supplied with CaCO₃ at 20 rates to yield a soil solution pH range of 5.2–7.8. Concentrations of elements were determined in the solutions by ICP‐AES or (for most elements) ICP‐MS. Several distinct patterns of soil solution concentrations as a function of soil solution pH were demonstrated. Positively related to pH and CaCO₃ supply were soil solution concentrations of As, Br, Mo, S, Sb, Se, U, and W, and to a lesser degree, Co, Cr, Hg, Mg, and Sr. Inversely related to pH were concentrations of Al, B, Ba, Bi, Cs, Ce, Eu, Ga, Ge, Fe, Li, K, Rb, Na, Th, and Ti; less distinctly inversely rated were Dy, Er, Gd, Hf, La, Lu, Mn, Nd, Pr, Sm, Sc, Si, Tl, Tm, and Yb. ‘U‐shaped’ relationships to pH were demonstrated for the concentrations of Ag, Cd, Nb, Ni, P, V, and Zr. There were no or irregular relations between pH and concentrations of Be, Cu, Ho, Pb, Ta, and Tb. Differences between elements in their soil solution concentrations as related to total (HNO₃‐digestible) concentrations and the solubility of organic C were also treated. Increasing the pH of a soil by adding CaCO₃ changes the solubility of most mineral elements substantially, the several distinct patterns observed being governed by, for example, ionic properties and charge, affinity for organic compounds, and pH‐dependent formation and solubility of complexes.     

Conditions related to solubility of rare and minor elements in forest soils

Soil solutions expelled by high‐speed centrifugation (13900 g) of intact soil sample cores at field moisture from 30 forest topsoils (A horizons of mainly Dystric and Eutric Cambisols, according to the FAO‐Unesco system) low in clay were subjected to analysis of 60 elements, using ICP‐MS and ICP‐AES. Concentrations measured were related to soil and soil solution properties assumed to be important for the solubility of elements, using stepwise regression analysis. On an average two thirds of the variability in soil solution concentration of elements were accounted for by, in particular, organic C concentrations, pH and/or nitrate concentrations of the solutions, varying among elements from 19 to 90 %. Concentrations of elements strongly positively related to soil solution acidity were Al, Be, Ge, Li, Ni, Pb, and Zn, strongly negatively related to acidity were Ca, Mo, and W. Most positively related to nitrate concentrations in soil solutions were B, Ba, Cd, Mg, Mn, and Sr; negatively were Nb, Ta, and Ti. Concentrations of organic C in the soil solutions correlated positively, often quite closely, with most of the other elements studied, including La, all the lanthanides, and with Ag, Br, Cr, Fe, Ga, Hf, Hg, In, P, Th, U, Y, and Zr. Soluble organic compounds were apparently ’︁carriers’ of these elements in the soil solution. The concentrations of elements in HNO₃ digests of the soils usually accounted for just little or no statistical variability of their soil solution concentrations.     

污泥农用对痕量元素在小麦-玉米轮作体系中的积累及转运的影响

利用田间试验初步研究了污泥农用对小麦、玉米大田作物及土壤环境影响以及污泥中痕量元素在土壤与植物可食部分之间转移规律。结果表明,施用污泥后,尤其是36t·hm^-2施用量时,土壤中Zn、Cu、Cd、Pb、As和№的含量均显著增加,但是施用污泥4．5至36t·hm^-2后,除小麦籽粒中Zn、Cu含量和玉米籽粒中Zn、Cr含量显著增加外,其他痕量元素在小麦和玉米籽粒中的含量没有显著增加。作物籽粒中Zn含量与土壤中污泥施加量之间存在着显著的线性回归关系,土壤中增施1t·hm^-2之污泥,小麦和玉米籽粒中Zn的含量分别增加0．570和0．118mg·kg^-1。小麦和玉米籽粒除M和Pb的富集系数相近外,对其他痕量元素而言,小麦籽粒的富集系数显著高于玉米籽粒。从痕量元素的累积速率和现行土壤环境质量标准考虑,北京污泥中Hg是优先考虑控制的元素,但是污泥中№对食品安全的影响还需要进行长期的大田实验研究。     

蔬菜地土壤磷饱和度及其对磷释放和水质的影响

为了解蔬菜地土壤磷素的积累对水环境的影响,我们在浙江省选择了33个代表性蔬菜地,采集和分析了土壤、地表水和地下水样的磷素状况,从土壤磷饱和度的角度,研究了浙江省主要蔬菜土壤磷积累状况及其对地表和地下水水质和土壤磷释放潜力的影响。结果表明,半透膜渗析法测得的磷释放量与土壤磷积累呈正相关,磷释放量随土壤磷饱和度的提高而增加。蔬菜地土壤磷饱和度的增加可显著提高地表水体和地下水中磷的浓度,当土壤磷饱和度小于25%左右时,水体中磷浓度随土壤磷饱和度增加较为缓慢;但当磷饱和度大于25%时,水体中磷浓度随土壤磷饱和度提高迅速上升。地表水中磷浓度主要与表层土壤磷饱和度有关;地下水中磷浓度主要受深层土壤磷饱和度的影响,与表层土壤磷饱和度的相关性较小。土壤磷饱和度可很好地表征土壤磷释放和对环境的潜在影响。     

Effect of water: soil ratio on phosphate release: P, aluminium and fulvic acid associations in water extracts from Andisols and Andic soils

The influence of water: soil ratio (w: s) on phosphorus fractions was studied in Andisols and Andic soils. Phosphorus was fractionated in 0.45-μm filtered water extracts, and pH, monomeric Al and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were determined. Speciation of dialysed extracts was also studied. Increasing w: s from 2.5 to 75 resulted in a release of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), while DOC decreased significantly and pH increased moderately. For the 29 samples studied desorbed DRP =K (w: s)^β, where β represents a P buffering term and ranged from 1 to 1.26 for DRP (mg kg^?1). On dialysis, we observed a uniform partition between dialysable (DP) and non-dialysable P (NDP) which was explained by the corresponding difference in DOC; these results were consistent with the existence of soluble P-Al-fulvic complexes. Study of solubility diagrams for determining solid-phase controls on P activities in the extracts suggested that dissolution of Al-phosphates could explain most of P release to water as free orthophosphate. Both this mechanism and organic P partition between solid and solution soil phases may be considered to reflect the main sources of P in Andisols: Al-phosphate and organic-Al-P complexes.     

砂质土壤磷素的组成特点与释放规律研究

砂质土壤磷素主要以可提取态形式积累,有很高的释放潜力。该类土壤磷素的释放受土壤pH、土水作用时间和土壤溶液化学组成等的影响。土壤酸化、土壤溶液中Na+浓度的提高及土壤与水的作用时间增加可促进土壤磷素的释放。用淋洗方法和平衡提取等2种方法对土壤磷素的释放评价表明,淋洗方法测得的P量较小,可代表土壤短期内P释放强度;而平衡提取法提取的P数量较大,可代表土壤P长期释放的容量。     

A simplified risk assessment for losses of dissolved reactive phosphorus through drainage pipes from agricultural soils

Abstract

Soil tests with extractions are commonly used for risk assessments of phosphorus (P) leaching. Procedures for routine analysis of crop-available soil P by extraction with acid ammonium lactate (P-AL) have been used for nearly 50 years in Sweden, Norway and several East European countries. Aluminium and iron (Al-AL and Fe-AL) were determined in the same extract for 40 well known clayey, loamy or sandy soils from the Swedish long-term studies. Average outcome was 16.8 and 6.0% for the two elements related to extraction with chelating ammonium oxalate (Al-AO and Fe-AO) and concentrations had a correlation coefficient of 0.947 and 0.891, respectively, when the two extraction agents were compared. On average, P-AL determination using inductive coupled plasma (ICP) resulted in 19% higher soil P concentrations compared to analysis using a colorimetric method based on non-calcareous and calcareous soils from the southern counties in the Swedish soil survey, represented mainly by sandy loam soils. Degree of P saturation on a molar basis in the AL extract (DPS-AL) was determined for 22 Nordic observation fields with drained clayey, loamy and sandy soils. Results were used together with long-term flow-weighed concentration of dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentration in drainage water. These parameters were correlated (r=0.918, p=0.000) and could be fitted to a linear regression model (R²=84.3). In addition, two fields with unusually high DPS-AL values could clearly be identified as those with lowest P sorption index and highest DRP concentrations in drainage water. This demonstrates DPS-AL to have the potential as an environmental risk indicator for Swedish acid soils. A set of 230 non-calcareous soils in the southern counties of Sweden from the Swedish soil survey indicated that 3% of the soils had a high DPS-AL in the topsoil or subsoil, from which high DPS leaching probably occurs.     

Ageing of vanadium in soils and consequences for bioavailability

Total vanadium (V) concentrations in soils commonly range from 20 to 120 mg kg^?1. Vanadium added directly to soils is more soluble than geogenic V and can be phytotoxic at doses within this range of background concentrations. However, it is unknown how slow sorption reactions change the fate and effect of added V in soils. This study addresses the changes in V solubility, toxicity and bioavailability in soils over time. Four soils were amended with pentavalent V in the form of a soluble vanadate salt, and extractable V concentrations were monitored over 100 days. The toxicity to barley and tomato plants was evaluated in freshly spiked soils and in the corresponding aged soils that were equilibrated for up to 330 days after spiking. The V concentrations in 0.01 m CaCl₂ soil extracts decreased approximately two‐fold between 14 and 100 days after soil spiking, and the reaction kinetics were similar for all soils. The phytotoxicity of added V decreased on average two‐fold between freshly spiked and aged soils. The reduced toxicity was associated with a corresponding decrease in V concentrations in the isolated soil solutions and in the shoots. The V speciation in the soil solution of the aged soils was dominated by V(V); less than 8% was present as V(IV). Oxalate extractions suggest that the V(V) added to soils is predominantly sorbed onto poorly crystalline oxyhydroxides. It is concluded that the toxicity of V measured in freshly spiked soils may not be representative of soils subject to a long‐term V contamination in the field.     

碱稳定污泥污水对土壤可提取有机碳和铜的影响

An incubation experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential for water contamination with sludge-derived organic substances and copper following land application of alkaline-stabilised sewage sludge. Two contrasting sludge-amended soils were studied. Both soils were previously treated with urban and ruralalkaline biosolids separately at sludge application rates of 0, 30 and 120 t ha^-1 fresh product. The air-driedsoil/sludge mixtures were wetted with distilled water, maintained at 40 % of water-holding capacity and equilibrated for three weeks at 4 ℃ before extraction. Subsamples were extracted with either distilled wateror 0.5 mol L^-1 K₂SO₄ solution. The concentrations of organic C in the aqueous and chemical extracts were determined directly with a total organic carbon (TOC) analyser. The concentrations of Cu in the twoextracts were also determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry The relationship between the two extractable organic C fractions was examined, together with that between extractable organic C concentration and extractable Cu concentration. Application of alkaline biosolids increased the concentrations of soil mobile organic substances and Cu. The results are discussed in terms of a possible increase in the potential for leaching of sludge-derived organics and Cu in the sludge-amended soils.     

Phosphorus solubilization in the rhizosphere and its possible importance to determine phosphate plant availability in soil. A review with main emphasis on German results

Limited fertilization adapted to plant demand is of high economical and ecological relevance. This requires a reliable analysis of plant available P, based on knowledge of phosphorus dynamics in soils and P mobilization by plants. On chernozem-like soils, as well as under dry conditions, the double-lactate (DL) phosphate extraction methods apparently do not adequately reflect the P uptake ability of plants. This paper summarizes rhizosphere processes that affect P availability partly by reference of selected own experiments. Root exudates increased the double-lactate (DL) extractable P amount of soils in sterile and non sterile cultures. Microbial colonisation increased both the exudate amount and the specific ability of exudates to solubilize P. In spite of rapid exudate turnover, DL-P solubility was increased. Sugars released from P-deficient plants increased the P solubilizing ability of a bacterial strain (Enterobacter radicincitans), perhaps by changing bacterial acid production. Root exudates solubilized more P from soil than lactate extracts did. An investigation of physiological processes in the rhizosphere could contribute to a better understanding of nutrient availability and perhaps lead to the development of extraction methods that better reflect the availability of soil phosphorus to plants. Connecting field experiments with basic studies offers the opportunity to better understand plant nutritional processes to realize an effective and sustainable agriculture.     

Effect of pH on Potentially Toxic Trace Elements (Cd,Cu, Ni,and Zn) Solubility in Two Native and Spiked Calcareous Soils: Experimental and Modeling

The effect of soil pH on solubility of the potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs) [cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn)] was assessed using two native and spiked calcareous soils. Multiple PTEs solutions were added to soils and equilibrated (aged) for 40 days. Then, PTEs solubility was measured at different pH level (1–3 units below and above the pH of native soils). In native soils, all PTEs displayed a V-shaped pH-dependent solubility pattern with important releases at pH 4 and 10 (native soil 1) and 5 and 11 (native soil 2). In spiked soils, the general tendency for the pH where solubility started was in the order Cd > Ni > Zn > Cu. Solubility of added trace elements increased with a decrease in pH. Solubility of PTEs occurred at a lower pH in the soil with a higher carbonate content than the other soil (both native and spiked). In order to predict the effect of soil pH on solubility of PTEs, surface complexation and ions exchange models of PHREEQC program were used. The model simulated the PTEs solubility in soils very well. Comparison of experimental and simulated data indicated that ions exchange and surface complexation were the main mechanisms for predicting PTEs solubility in soils. Environmental implications concerning PTEs mobility might be derived from these findings.     

The Zinc Adsorption Study by Using Orhaneli Fly Ash, Bentonite, and Molasses in Wastewater

To assess strategies for mitigating Pb and As transfer into leafy vegetables from contaminated garden soils, we conducted greenhouse experiments using two field-contaminated soils amended with materials expected to reduce metal phytoavailability. Lettuce and mustard greens grown on these soils were analyzed by ICP-MS, showing that some Pb and As transfer into the vegetables occurred from both soils tested, but plant Pb concentrations were highly variable among treatment replicates. Soil-to-plant transfer was more efficient for As than for Pb. Contamination of the leaves by soil particles probably accounted for most of the vegetable Pb, since plant Pb concentrations were correlated to plant tissue concentrations of the immobile soil elements Al and Fe. This correlation was not observed for vegetable As concentrations, evidence that most of the soil-to-plant transfer for this toxic metal occurred by root uptake and translocation into the above-ground tissues. A follow-up greenhouse experiment with lettuce on one of the two contaminated soils revealed a lower and less variable foliar Pb concentration than observed in the first experiment, with evidence of less soil particle contamination of the crop. This reduced transfer of Pb to the crop appeared to be a physical effect attributable to the greater biomass causing reduced overall exposure of the above-ground tissues to the soil surface. Attempts to reduce soil Pb and As solubility and plant uptake by amendment at practical rates with stabilizing materials, including composts, peat, Ca phosphate, gypsum, and Fe oxide, were generally unsuccessful. Only Fe oxide reduced soluble As in the soil, but this effect did not persist. Phosphate amendment rapidly increased soil As solubility but had no measurable effect on either soil Pb solubility or concentrations of Pb or As in the leafy vegetables. The ineffectiveness of these amendments in reducing Pb transfer into leafy vegetables is attributed in this study to the low initial Pb solubility of the studied soils and the fact that the primary mechanism of Pb transfer is physical contamination.     

Phosphate adsorption by soils 1. Influence of time and ionic environment on phosphate adsorption

Abstract

The influence of reaction time and ionic environments, on phosphate adsorption were studied using one calcareous soil from India, and one calcareous and two latosols from Hawaii.

Phosphorus adsorption by soils has a initial rapid phase followed by a slow process. For plant nutrition studies, where emphasis is on P concentration of solutions from which plants derive P, isotherms should be constructed using data obtained after near‐equilibration has been attained. This condition does not obtain in a few hours and may require 6 days or more.

Calcium chloride as suspending electrolyte always gave lower phosphate solubility than when KC1 was used as electrolyte. Phosphate retention increased with increasing ionic strength. The necessity for obtaining clear supernatant solutions and the desirability for maintaining reasonable constant equilibrium conditions make 0.01 M CaCl₂ a reasonable choice for constructing P sorption isotherms, even though 0.01 M CaCl₂ is not representative of Ca concentrations in many soil solutions. Saturation extracts of soils investigated here were in the range 0.0002 to 0.005 M Ca.

Adsorption of calcium by highly weathered soils was high suggesting specific adsorption. Calcium adsorption was increased by phosphate additions to a Hydrandept.     

Total and labile zinc concentrations in water extracts of rhizosphere and bulk soils of oats and rice

Abstract

A greenhouse experiment using three soils of different pH levels (4.37, 5.78, 6.44) was conducted to determine the effects of rhizosphere on pH, total Zn and labile Zn in water extracts of soils grown to oats and rice. Zn concentrations were determined using a linear sweep cathodic stripping voltammetry technique.

In oats, the pH and labile Zn in water extracts were lower in the rhizosphere than the bulk soil and there was no difference in total Zn in water extracts between these two soil zones. Consistently, rhizosphere pH was lower than bulk soil pH with rice but total and labile Zn in water extracts were not statistically different.

Zn concentrations (both total and labile forms) in water extracts varied inversely with pH; however, rhizosphere pH changes did not always explain observed differences in extractable Zn     

Incinerated Sewage Sludge Products as Amendments for Agricultural Soils: Leaching and Plant Uptake of Trace Elements

Preliminary leaching column and greenhouse plant uptake studies were conducted in two soils with contrasting characteristics amended with varying rates (0 to 148.3 Mg ha^?1) of incinerated sewage sludge (ISS) and weathered sewage sludge (WISS) to estimate the leaching losses of trace elements from the soils amended with incinerated sewage sludge by products and to evaluate the uptake and accumulation of these elements in various parts of Sorghum vulgaris var. sudanense Hitche. (“Sorgrass''), a Sorghum-Sudan grass hybrid. Results of this study indicated that leaching of Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Fe and Mn from soils amended with ISS and WISS increased with increasing rates of amendment. Results of the leaching column study further revealed greater leaching losses from coarse-textured soil compared to medium-textured soil and also from ISS amended soils than with WISS amended soils. Results further suggested that the type of element and the interaction between the element and soil properties affected the leachability of various trace elements. The uptake study indicated uptake and accumulation of trace elements by plant parts increased with increasing rates of amendments. Greater plant uptake and accumulation of trace elements were observed in plant parts grown in soils amended with ISS compared to that of WISS. Results also indicated a greater accumulation of trace elements in below ground part of the plants (roots) compared to that was observed in above ground parts (shoots). Limited data obtained from this one season preliminary studies demonstrated that incinerated sewage sludge products from wastewater treatment plants could be used as soil amendments at low application (no more than 24.7 Mg ha^?1) for optimum plant growth, and dry matter yield without resulting in substantial accumulation of metals in plant parts at concentrations above the recommended critical limits and without causing significant leaching losses of various trace elements. It is imperative that long-term field studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term impact of using these new products in leaching and accumulation of various trace elements in plants and soils.     

根迹土壤根诱导的化学变化对植物吸收重金属的影响

It is increasingly recognized that metal bioavailability is a better indicator of the potential for phytoremediation than the total metal concentration in soils; therefore, an understanding of the inffuence of phytoremediation plants on metal dynamics at the soil-root interface is increasingly vital for the successful implementation of this remediation technique. In this study, we investigated the heavy metal and soil solution chemical changes at field moisture, after growth of either Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) or sunffower (Helianthus annuus L.), in long-term contaminated soils and the subsequent metal uptake by the selected plants. In addition, the fractions of free metal ions in soil solution were determined using the Donnan membrane technique. After plant growth soil solution pH increased by 0.2-1.4 units and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) increased by 1-99 mg L^-1 in all soils examined. Soluble Cd and Zn decreased after Indian mustard growth in all soils examined, and this was attributed to increases in soil solution pH (by 0.9 units) after plant growth. Concentrations of soluble Cu and Pb decreased in acidic soils but increased in alkaline soils. This discrepancy was likely due to a competitive effect between plant-induced pH and DOC changes on the magnitude of metal solubility. The fractions of free Cd and Zn ranged from 7.2% to 32% and 6.4% to 73%, respectively, and they generally decreased as pH and DOC increased after plant growth. Metal uptake by plants was dependant on the soil solution metal concentration, which was governed by changes in pH and DOC induced by plant exudates, rather than on the total metal concentrations. Although plant uptake also varied with metal and soil types, overall soluble metal concentrations in the rhizosphere were mainly inffuenced by root-induced changes in pH and DOC which subsequently affected the metal uptake by plants.     

Baseline element concentrations in soils and plants,Wattenmeer National Park,North and East Frisian Islands,Federal Republic of Germany

Baseline element concentrations are given for dune grass (Ammophilia arenaria), willow (Salix repens), moss (Hylocomium splendens) and associated surface soils. Baseline and variability data for pH, ash, Al, As, Ba, C, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Nb, Nd, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sc, Se, Sr, Th, Ti, V, Y, Yb, and Zn are reported; however, not all variables are reported for all media because, in some media, certain elements were below the analytical detection limit. Spatial variation in element concentration between five Frisian Islands are given for each of the sample media. In general, only a few elements in each media showed statistically significant differences between the islands sampled. The measured concentrations in all sample media exhibited ranges that cannot be attributed to anthropogenic additions of trace elements, with the possible exception of Hg and Pb in surface soils.     

Effects of enhanced supplies of nitrogen and sulphur on rhizosphere and soil chemistry in a Norway spruce stand in SW Sweden

Rhizophere and bulk soil chemistry were investigated in a Norway spruce stand in SW Sweden. The rhizosphere and bulk soil chemistry in water extracts in control plots (C) and plots repeatedly treated with ammonium sulphate (NS) were compared. Treatment regime was started in 1988. Cylindrical core samples of the LFH-layer and mineral soil layers were collected in 1992 and used for water extract analyses. Samples of soil from LFH-layer and mineral soil layers were taken in 1991 and 1993 for determination of CEC and base saturation. Soil pH and NH₄-N, NO₃-N and SO₄-S, Al, Ca, K and Mg concentrations in water extracts were measured for rhizosphere and bulk soils. The pH-values of bulk and rhizosphere soils in NS plots decreased compared with those in control plots, whereas concentrations of NH₄-N, NO₃-N, SO₄-S, base cations and Al in water extract increased. In both bulk and rhizosphere soils the concentration of NH₄-N was much higher than that of NO₃-N. A significant difference in the pH and Mg concentration of bulk and rhizosphere soil between the treated and control plots was found only in the 0–10 cm layer. For all layers, there was a significant difference in NH₄-N concentrations in the bulk and rhizosphere soil between the NS treatment and control plots. Concentrations of exchangeable base cations and the base saturation level in the LFH-layer decreased in the NS plots. The concentration of extractable SO₄-S increased in the NS plots. The NS treatment enhanced the amount of litter in L-layer, owing to increases in needle biomass and litterfall but led to losses of base cations, mainly K and Mg, from LFH-layer. It was concluded that the NS treatment displaced cations from exchangeable sites in the LFH-layer leading to higher concentrations of these elements in both rhizosphere and bulk soil.