Surface charge characteristics of variable charge soils in Thailand

Abstract

Surface charge characteristics were investigated using a charge fingerprinting procedure for 90 samples from 32 profiles of highly weathered Oxisols and Ultisols derived from shale/limestone, basalt, granite, local alluvium, sedimentary, and metasedimentary rocks under tropical savanna and tropical monsoonal climates in Thailand. The charge fingerprints of 5 whole soils, after removal of organic matter and of kaolin and ion oxides from these soils, were also measured to clarify factors contributing to the variable charge behaviour. Phosphate sorption was determined and related to charge properties. Kaolin was the dominant mineral of the clay fraction with moderate amounts of goethite and hematite. Gibbsite was present in Oxisols formed on limestone and basalt under more humid conditions. All soils exhibited variable charge behaviour but the magnitude and rate of change in variable charge with pH varied greatly between Oxisols and Ultisols. Oxisols had higher amounts of variable charge than Ultisols, reflecting the differences in amounts of clay and extractable Fe and Al. Oxisols formed on basalt and limestone under more humid conditions had high values of anion exchange capacity (AEC) due to the contributions of goethite, gibbsite, and boehmite. The relationships of base cation exchange capacity (CECB) and AEC with pH were linear. Rates of change with pH of both negative and positive variable charge (Ac, Aa) were closely related to CEC, specific surface area (SSA), pH(NaF), and various forms of extractable Fe, Al, and Mn. The charge fingerprints of soil after removal of organic matter indicated that organic matter exerted a strong influence on both the magnitude of negative charge and rate of change with pH. Kaolin had permanent and variable charge, with SSA and crystal size (MCD001) being highly predictive of the rate of change in variable negative charge with pH. Iron oxide concentrates exhibited strongly pH-dependent charge and the mean coherently diffracting length (MCD110) of hematite was highly predictive of both the magnitude and rate of change in variable positive charge with pH. Charge coefficients (Ac, Ba) had highly significant (P = 0.005) positive relationships with Langmuir and Freundlich phosphate sorption maximum coefficients (Xm, k), indicating that the surfaces of amorphous, poorly ordered, and crystalline Fe and Al oxides are prime sites for both P sorption and variable charge.