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A Mathematical Model for Phosphorus Movement in Soils
Author(s) -
Shah Dhananjai B.,
Coulman George A.,
Novak Lawrence T.,
Ellis Boyd G.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1975.00472425000400010020x
Subject(s) - phosphorus , soil water , environmental science , effluent , groundwater , environmental engineering , movement (music) , soil contamination , soil science , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , geology , philosophy , organic chemistry , aesthetics
Land application of municipal and industrial wastes is increasingly being looked upon as an alternative for treatment of the effluent. Since phosphorus compounds constitute a major potential source of ground water contamination, it is important to study the movement of these compounds in the soil. In this paper, a model for the movement of P has been developed. Material balance equations for water in the soil pore spaces, P in the liquid phase, and adsorbed P on the soil have been formulated. These equations are solved numerically to simulate the P concentration profiles in the soil solution and in the soil as functions of depth for an operating waste disposal system. The results of the simulation show a good agreement with the field data. The model can be used to determine the response of the system for a given input of phosphates and thus is a useful tool in the design and management of such systems.