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Soil physical properties of subsoils contaminated with light nonaqueous phase liquids (lNAPLs)
Author(s) -
Becher Hans H.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2624(200110)164:5<579::aid-jpln579>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - soil water , chemistry , water retention , loess , water retention curve , mineralogy , environmental chemistry , soil science , environmental science , geology , geomorphology
At 4 sub‐sites of a loess‐derived site, contaminated with light nonaqueous phase liquids (lNAPLs), in Thuringia (Central Germany) undisturbed core samples were obtained from depths down to almost 9 m for determining water retention characteristics. Due to bulk densities of 1.46—1.87 g cm —3 and high water retention (˜ 19—24 % b.v.) at 15000 hPa the resulting water retention curves are relatively flat. This finding means that there exists only a small portion of pore volume participating in water transport. As known from literature, however, contaminants like lNAPLs decrease the surface tension of soil water or soil solution, resulting in that the soil solution is retained in pores of smaller size at the same matric potential as compared to pure or lNAPL‐free water. This fact must have consequences for the water regime of soils or soil material affected by organic contaminants like lNAPLs because of the changed water retention properties control deep percolation as well as capillary rise.