Abstract
A series of curves of pH as a function of base exchange have been made as a first step in determining the sensitivity of the major soil types in the Latrobe Valley of Victoria, Australia, to acid precipitation. The method used was to convert the soils into the H form and then equilibrate them with differing amounts of sodium hydroxide up to the cation exchange capacity of the soil concerned. Six soil types, typical of the valley soils, were examined ranging from sandy soils to soils with clay content of almost 35%. In all cases, maximum buffering occurred in the region of 20 to 70% total exchange or base saturation. The curves are interpreted in terms of standard soil characteristics in order to produce some generalized conclusions about soil sensitivities.
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Lau, W.M., Mainwaring, S.J. The determination of soil sensitivity to acid deposition. Water Air Soil Pollut 25, 451–464 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00283795
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00283795