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Degree of Sulfate Saturation in Forest Soils Affected by Past Heavy Anthropogenic Deposition

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Abstract

The aims of this study were to assess sulfate adsorption in Japanese forest soils and to find and evaluate traces of past heavy anthropogenic sulfur deposition based on the degree of saturation as calculated based on the theoretical adsorption capacity determined by isotherm experiments and the amount of actual adsorbed sulfate. Investigations were conducted at two forest sites, a site in Yokkaichi that is exposed to serious air pollution containing sulfur compounds and a site in Inabu that is unpolluted. The distribution of phosphate-extractable sulfate concentration did not differ between the Yokkaichi site (1.11–13.2 mmol kg−1) and the Inabu site (0.40–11.0 mmol kg−1), and the values were higher than published data for North America and Europe. In contrast, the degree of sulfate saturation in soils of the Yokkaichi site was higher than that in soils of the Inabu site. These results indicate that the degree of sulfate saturation is valuable information for the evaluation of sulfur deposition history. The higher degree of saturation at Yokkaichi site may be due to enhanced sulfate adsorption by soils resulting from substantial past sulfur deposition.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. T. Tanikawa (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute) for invaluable suggestions. We also thank S. Watabe (Mie Prefecture), N. Yamaguchi, and N. Takabe (Nagoya University) for their assistance with our field investigations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Forest Environment and Resources, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan

    Takuya Ishida & Chisato Takenaka

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  1. Takuya Ishida
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  2. Chisato Takenaka
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Correspondence to Takuya Ishida.

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Ishida, T., Takenaka, C. Degree of Sulfate Saturation in Forest Soils Affected by Past Heavy Anthropogenic Deposition. Water Air Soil Pollut 225, 2061 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-2061-3

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