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Selenite adsorption and desorption in main Chinese soils with their characteristics and physicochemical properties

  • Soils, Sec 3 • Remediation and Management of Contaminated or Degraded Lands • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

Selenium (Se) adsorption influences its mobility, transformation, and bioavailability in soil. Se interactions with soils and soil constituents have focused primarily on selenite retention. The dominant factors of selenite adsorption behavior and the impacts of exogenous Se concentration were investigated for the prediction of the rate of retention and release of selenium species in soils and the guidance of Se supplementation implementation.

Materials and methods

Eighteen typical agricultural soils with varying physicochemical characteristics and mineralogical composition were collected throughout China for the study of their adsorption and desorption behavior toward selenite and the effect of their physicochemical properties.

Results and discussion

Results showed that Se adsorbances among 18 soils varied considerably. Among numerous soil properties and components, soil pH exerted a significant negative effect on selenite adsorption in soil, whereas amorphous iron and amorphous aluminum had positive effect (P < 0.05). Organic matter (OM) showed an indirect effect when high concentrations of selenite were present in soil. Moreover, soil carbonate content imposed an indirect effect on selenite adsorption in soil. Selenite desorption showed a reverse trend compared with adsorption: the correlations of desorption rate with soil pH and amorphous iron were positive and negative, respectively (P < 0.05). The soil/solution distribution coefficient (K d) had no significant correlation with soil properties, other than with pH (P < 0.05), but the K d values of different soils were highly variable.

Conclusions

The observed adsorption behavior of selenite in soil is complicated: small amounts of exogenous Se were mainly adsorbed by a monolayer physical process, but multilayer adsorption occurred when the concentration increased. The soils that strongly adsorb selenite often showed low desorption rates, as well, which largely limited the migration, transformation, and bioavailability of selenite in soils. Therefore, residue problem must be considered when Se fertilizers are applied to these soils.

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Acknowledgments

The present study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41171379) and the Innovative Research Team Program of Northwest A&F University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Weihui Road No. 3, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi Province, China

    Zhe Li, Nan Man, Songshan Wang, Dongli Liang & Juanjuan Liu

Authors
  1. Zhe Li
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  2. Nan Man
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  3. Songshan Wang
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  4. Dongli Liang
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  5. Juanjuan Liu
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Correspondence to Dongli Liang.

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Responsible editor: Ravi Naidu

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Li, Z., Man, N., Wang, S. et al. Selenite adsorption and desorption in main Chinese soils with their characteristics and physicochemical properties. J Soils Sediments 15, 1150–1158 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1085-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1085-7

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