Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Soil nutrient leaching in response to simulated acid rain treatment

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Soil and soil solution nutrient concentrations were evaluated over a 30-mo period to determine the impact of simulated acidic precipitation (70:30 equivalent basis H2SO4: HNO3) at pH values of 5.7, 4.5, 4.0, and 3.5 on forest. microcosms. Soil nutrient analysis indicated significantly lower concentrations of exchangeable Ca and Mg in the top 3.5 cm of the mineral soil after 30 mo of pH 3.5 treatment. Leachate collected from the pH 4.5, 4.0, and 3.5 treatments at the 25 cm depth (below the Å.: horizon) exhibited significant increases in Cl, NH4, PO4, K, and SO4 concentrations compared to the pH 5.7 treatment. At the 50 cm depth (mid-profile) all leachate element concentrations except NH4 increased significantly in response to treatment. At the 100 cm depth (profile bottom), no significant effects of treatment on leachate chemistry were observed. The elevated base cation concentration values found in the 50 cm soil solution samples support at least partially the described reduction in Ca and Mg in the surface soil horizon. The 100 cm concentration data indicate that cations mobilized out of the Å.: and upper B horizon in response to treatment were immobilized before reaching the bottom of the soil profile. Evaluation of nutrient flux out of the microcosm at the 100 cm depth did not indicate any statistically significant response to the treatment. Nitrate rather than SO4 was found to be the dominant anion leaving the microcosm by an average factor of ∼7 to 1.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abrahamsen, G., Horntvedt, R., and Tveite, B.: 1977, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 8, 57.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Public Health Association: 1980, Standard Methods (15th ed.), American Public Health Association, Inc., Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, C. A.: 1965, Methods of Soil Analysis, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin. 1572 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronan, C. S.: 1980, Plant and Soil 56, 301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, E. R.: 1959, An Explanation of Theory and Methods of Soil Testing, Univ. of Missouri Agric. Exper. Station, p. 18.

  • Horowitz, W.: 1980, Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (13th ed.), Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huete, A. R. and McColl, J. G.: 1984, J. of Environmental Quality 13, 366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, D. W.: 1980, Environment International 3, 79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, D. W., Richter, D. D., Lovett, G. M., and Lindberg, S. E.: 1985, Canadian J. of Forest Research 15, 773.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, J. M. and Strickland, R. C.: 1984, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 23, 431.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, J. M. and Strickland, R. C.: 1986, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 29, 219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, J. M., Strickland, R. C., Noggle, J. C., and Weatherford, F. P.: 1984, Evaluation of Simulated Acid Precipitation Effects on Forest Microcosms, EA-3500, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. J. and Weber, D. E.: 1982, J. of Environmental Quality 11, 57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. J.: 1985, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 25, 185.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, N. W., Hart, J. B., Jr., and Nguyen, P. V.: 1986, Soil Science Society of America Journal 50, 219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, R. and Ulrich, B.: 1977, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 7, 409.

    Google Scholar 

  • McFee, W. W., Kelly, J. M., and Beck, R. H.: 1977, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 7, 401.

    Google Scholar 

  • McFee, W. W.: 1980, D. S. Shriner (ed.), Atmospheric Sulfur Deposition, Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, Michigan, p. 477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, D. F.: 1976. Multivariate Statistical Methods (2nd ed.), McGraw-Hill, New York, 338 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute, Inc.: 1982, SAS User's Guide, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, North Carolina, 923 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steel, R. G. D. and Torrie, J. H.: 1960, Principles and Procedures of Statistics, McGraw-Hill, New York, 481 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiedemann, A. R. and Anderson, T. D.: 1971, Plant and Soil 35, 197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiklander, L.: 1975, Geoderma 14, 93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, T. and Bormann, F. H.: 1977, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 7, 479.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Air and Water Resources, Air Quality Branch, Tennessee Valley Authority, 35660, Muscle Shoals, AL, USA

    J. M. Kelly & R. C. Strickland

Authors
  1. J. M. Kelly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. C. Strickland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kelly, J.M., Strickland, R.C. Soil nutrient leaching in response to simulated acid rain treatment. Water Air Soil Pollut 34, 167–181 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184758

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184758

Keywords

Search

Navigation