Premium
Nitrate and Detergent Recovery in Aerated Soil Columns
Author(s) -
Mansell R. S.,
Kirkham Don,
Nielsen D. R.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1970.03615995003400060021x
Subject(s) - aeration , nitrate , distilled water , chemistry , denitrification , oxygen , effluent , environmental chemistry , soil water , nitrogen , environmental science , environmental engineering , chromatography , soil science , organic chemistry
The plant nutrient, nitrate, and the surfactant, linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), were applied in solutions to the surface of aerated columns (93 cm) of layered soil. Distilled water coutaining 0.01 N CaSO 4 was used to displace the nitrate and LAS through the columns while a steady water flow was maintained through the soil. The columns were water saturated at both extremities but unsaturated throughout most of the column length. Oxygen‐helium mixtures containing 0.2, 5, and 20% oxygen provided three different aeration levels. Recovery of nitrate in the liquid effluent was 73, 81, and 87% of that amount originally applied to the soil surface for the respective three levels of oxygen. Recovery of LAS was 50.4, 50.0, and 48.7% of the surface application for the same oxygen levels. These recovery results show that denitrification in a flowing soil‐air‐water system depended upon the level of oxygen, but the oxidation of LAS was not affected by the oxygen level. Actual times allowed to insure complete displacement of nitrate and LAS from the soil columns were 16.65, 15.42, and 17.67 days, respectively, for the 0.2, 5, and 20% oxygen treatments.