Skip to main content

Soluble aluminium in acidic soils: Principles and practicalities

Abstract

Our ability to predict toxic quantities of aluminium (Al) in acidic soils is limited by our understanding of the interactions between different solid forms of Al in solution and our lack of knowledge of which form control soluble Al. This review briefly considers each type of solid form of Al, particularly from a kinetic point of view and discusses models that have been developed to predict release of Al from individual forms. More comprehensive models (i.e. more than one source or sink of Al) are then discussed as well as the interactions between different solid sources of Al.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

References

  • Adams F 1984 Soil Acidity and Liming. American Agronomy Society, Madison, WI, USA. 380 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnhisel R I and Bertsch P M 1989 Chlorites and hydroxy-interlayed vermiculite and smectite. In Minerals in Soil Environments. Eds. J B Dixon and S B Weed. pp 729–788. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartschat B, Cabaniss S E and Morel F M M 1992 Oligoelectrolyte model for cation binding by humic substances. Environ. Sci. Technol. 26, 286–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloom P R and Erich M S 1989 The quantitation of aqueous aluminum. In The Environmental Chemistry of Aluminum. Ed. G Sposito. pp 1–27. CRC Press, Boca Raton FL, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloom P R, Mc Bride M B and Weaver R M 1979 Aluminum organic matter in acid soils: buffering and solution aluminum activity. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 43, 688–693.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolt G H 1982 Soil Chemistry. B. Physico-chemical models. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bunzl K, Schmidt W and Sansoni B 1976 Kinetics of ion exchange in soil organic matter. IV. Adsorption and desorption of Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+ Zn2+ and Ca2+ by peat. J. Soil Sci. 27, 32–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conyers M R 1990 The control of aluminium solubility in some acidic Australian soils. J. Soil Sci. 41, 147–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cosby B J, Hornberger G M and Galloway J N 1985 Modelling the effects of acid deposition: assessment of a lumped parameter model of soil water and streamwater chemistry. Water Resour. Res. 21, 51–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cosby B J, Hornberger G M, Rastetter E B, Galloway J N and Wright R F 1986 Estimating catchment water quality response to acid deposition using mathernatical models of soil ion exchange processes. Geoderma 38, 77–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronan C S, Walker W J and Bloom P R 1986 Predicting aqueous aluminum concentrations in natural waters. Nature 324, 140–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies J A and Hayes K F 1986 Geochemical Processes of Mineral Surfaces. American Chemical Society, Washinton, D.C., USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon J B and Weed S B 1989 Minerals in the Soil Environment. Soil Sci. Soc. Am., Madison, WI, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll C T 1989 The chemistry of aluminum in surface waters. In The Environmental Chemistry of Aluminum. Ed. G Sposito. pp 241–277. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dzombak D A, Fish W and Morel F M M 1986 Metal-humate interactions. 1. Discrete ligand and continuous distribution models. Environ. Sci. Technol. 20, 669–675.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eary L E, Jenne E A, Vail L W and Girvin D C 1989 Numerical models for predicting watershed acidification. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 18, 29–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Einstein A 1979 Autobiographical Notes. Open Court Pub. Co, Chicago, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furrer G, Westall J and Sollins P 1989 The study of soil chemistry through quasi-steady-state models: 1. Mathematical definition of model. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 53, 595–601.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furrer G, Sollins P and Westall J 1990 The study of soil chemistry through quasi-steady-state models: 2. Acidity of soil solution. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 54, 2363–2374.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furrer G, Zysset M, Charlet L and Schindler P W 1991 Mobilisation and fixation of aluminium in soils. Metal Compounds Environ. Life 4, 89–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gherini S A, Mok L, Hudson R J M, Davis G F, Chen C W and Goldstein R A 1985 The ILWAS model; formulation and application. Water Air Soil Pollut. 26, 425–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson J A E, Willett I R and Bond W J 1992 The effects of sulphate and fluoride on the sorption of aluminium by an oxisol. J. Soil Sci. 43, 429–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harter R P 1986 Adsorption Phenomena. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemingway B S 1982 Gibbs free energies of formation for baverite, nordstrandite, Al(OH)2+ and Al(OH)2+, aluminum mobility and the formation of bauxites and laterites. Adv. Phys. Geochem. 2, 283–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemingway B S and Sposito G 1989 Inorganic aluminum bearing solid phases. In The Environmental Chemistry of Aluminum. Ed. G Sposito. pp 55–86. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hochella M F and White A F 1990 Mineral-Water Interface Geochemistry. Mineralogical Society of America. Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodges S C and Zelazny L W 1983 Interactions of dilute, hydrolysed aluminum solutions with clays, peat and resin. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 47, 206–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsu P H 1989 Aluminum oxides and oxyhydroxides. In Minerals in the Soil Environment. Eds. J B Dixon and S B Weed. pp 331–378. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang P M 1988 Ionic factors affecting aluminum transformations and the impact on soil and environmental sciences. Adv. Soil Sci. 8, 1–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jardine P M, Zelazny L W and Parker J C 1985a Mechanism of aluminum adsorption on clay minerals and peat. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 49, 862–867.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jardine P M, Parker J C and Zelazny L W 1985b Kinetics and mechanisms of aluminum adsorption on kaolinite using a two-site non-equilibrium transport model. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 49, 867–873.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis G N and Randall M 1923 Thermodynamics. Mc Graw-Hill, New York, USA. 653 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay W L 1979 Chemical Equilibria in Soils. John Wiley, New York, USA. 449 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay W L and Walthall P M 1989 The solubility of aluminum in soils. In The Environmental Chemistry of Aluminum. Ed. G Sposito. pp 221–240. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacCarthy P, Clapp C E, Malcolm R L and Bloom P R 1990 Humic Substances in Soil and Crop Sciences. Selected Readings. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manley E P, Chesworth W and Evans L J 1987 The solution chemistry of podzolic soils from the eastern Canadian shield: a thermodynamic interpretation of the mineral phases controlling soluble Al3+ and H4SiO4. J. Soil Sci. 38, 39–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marinsky J A and Ephraim J 1986 A unified physicochemical description of the protonation and metal ion complexation of natural and organic acids (humic and fulvic acids). 1. Analysis of the influence of polyelectrolyte properties on protonation equilibria in ionic media: fundamental concepts. Environ. Sci. Technol. 20, 349–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulder J, Van Breemen N and Eijck H C 1989 Depletion of soil aluminium by acid deposition and implications for acid neutralisation. Nature 337, 247–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nikolaidis N 1988 A generalised soft water acidification model. Water Resour. Res. 24, 1983–1996.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordstrom D K and May H M 1989 Aqueous equilibrium data for mononuclear aluminum species. In The Environmental Chemistry of Aluminium. Ed. G Sposito. pp 29–54. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rich C I 1968 Hydoxy interlayers in expansible layer silicates. Clays Clay Miner. 16, 15–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie G S P 1994 The role of dissolution and precipitation of minerals controlling soluble aluminium in acidic soils. Adv. Agron. 53, 47–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie G S P 1989 The chemical behaviour of aluminium, hydrogen and manganese. In Soil Acidity and Plant Growth. Ed. A D Robson. pp 1–60. Academic Press, New York, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie G S P and Posner A M 1982 The effect of pH and metal binding on the transport properties of humic acids. J. Soil Sci. 33, 233–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robarge W P and Johnson D W 1992 The effects of acidic deposition on forested soils. Adv. Agron. 47, 1–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnoor J L, Palmer W DJr and Glass G E 1984 Modelling impacts of acid precipitation for northeastern Minnesota. In Modelling of Total Acid Precipitation Impacts. Ed. J L Schnoor. pp 155–173. Butterworths, London, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sparks D L 1989 Kinetics of Soil Processes. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA. 210 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sposito G 1989a The Environmental Chemistry of Aluminum. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA. 317 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sposito G 1989b The Chemistry of Soils. Oxford University Press, New York, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sposito G 1981 The Thermodynamics of Soil Solutions. Oxford University Press. New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steefel C I, Van Capellan P, Nagy K L and Lasaga A C 1990 Modelling water-rock interactions in the surficial environment: the role of precursors, nucleation, and Ostwald ripening. Chem. Geol. 84, 322–325.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson F J 1986 Cycle of Soil, Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Micronutrients. John Wiley, New York, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson F J and Vance G F 1989 Naturally occurring aluminum-organic complexes. In The Environmental Chemistry of Aluminum. Ed. G Sposito. pp 117–146. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stumm E and Wieland E 1990 Dissolution of oxide and silicate minerals: rates depend on surface speciation. In Aquatic Chemical Kinetics. Ed. W Stumm. pp 367–400. John Wiley, New York, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas G W and Hargrove W L 1984 The chemistry of soil acidity. In Soil Acidity and Liming. Ed. F Adams. pp 3–56. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tipping E and Hurley M A 1988 A model of solid-solution interactions in acid organic soils, based on the complexation properties of humic substances. J. Soil Sci. 39, 505–519.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tipping E and Hurley M A 1992 A unifying model of cation binding by humic substances. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 56, 3627–3641.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tipping E and Woof C 1990 Humic substances in acid organic soils: modelling their release to the soil solution in terms of humic charge. J. Soil Sci. 41, 573–586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tipping E and Woof C 1991 The distribution of humic substances between the solid and aqueous phases of acid organic soils; a description based on humic heterogeneity and charge dependent sorption equilibria. J. Soil Sci. 42, 437–448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tipping E, Backes C A and Hurley M A 1988 The complexation of protons, aluminium and calcium by aquatic humic substances: a model incorporating binding site heterogeneity and macroionic effects. Water Res. 22, 597–611.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner R C and Brydon J E 1967 Effect of length of time of reaction on some properties of suspensions of Arizona bentonite, illite, and kaolinite in which aluminum hydroxide is precipitated. Soil Sci. 103, 111–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Straten H A, Holtkamp B T W and de Bruyn P L 1984 Precipitation from supersaturated aluminate solutions. I. Nucleation and growth of solid phases at room temperature. J. Coll. Int. Sci. 98, 342–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker W J, Cronan C S and Patterson H H 1988 A kinetics study of aluminum adsorption by aluminosilicate clay minerals. Geochem. Cosmochim. Acta 52, 55–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieland E and Stumm W 1992 Dissolution kinetics of kaolinte in acidic aqueous solutions at 25°C. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 56, 3339–3355.

    Google Scholar 

  • White G N and Zelazny L W 1986 Charge properties of soil colloids. In Soil Physical Chemistry. Ed. D L Sparks. pp 39–81. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young S D and Bache B W 1985 Aluminium-organic complexation: formation constants and a speciation model for the soil solution. J. Soil Sci. 36, 261–269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zelazny L W and Jardine P M 1989 Surface reactions of aqueous aluminum species. In The Environmental Chemistry of Aluminum. Ed. G Sposito. pp 147–184. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ritchie, G.S.P. Soluble aluminium in acidic soils: Principles and practicalities. Plant Soil 171, 17–27 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009559

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009559

Key words

  • acidic soils
  • aluminium
  • kinetics
  • modelling