Register      Login
Soil Research Soil Research Society
Soil, land care and environmental research
RESEARCH ARTICLE

K–Ca–Mg binary cation exchange in saline soils from the north of Chile

Manuel Gacitúa A , Mónica Antilén A C and Margarita Briceño B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Facultad de Química, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 6904411, Santiago, Chile.

B Universidad Arturo Prat, Av. Arturo Prat 2120 Casilla 121, Iquique, Chile.

C Corresponding author. Email: mantilen@uc.cl

Australian Journal of Soil Research 46(8) 745-750 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR07228
Submitted: 6 December 2007  Accepted: 7 October 2008   Published: 2 December 2008

Abstract

The selectivities of the K–Ca and K–Mg cation exchange reactions were studied in batch experiments carried out with 7 Chilean saline sandy soils with low organic matter (OM) content, and rich in quartz and halite, by using the experimental Gaines and Thomas procedure and the semi-empirical Rothmund–Kornfeld approach.

The soils present high reactivity to the exchange process in terms of CEC and a preference order from the surface for the cation of K > Ca > Mg. In addition, the existence of different types of exchange sites was determined; some were specific for determined cations and others presented free competition. The proposed exchange reaction for both equilibria was thermodynamically possible and the studied cations presented a decreasing mobility order K > Ca > Mg, which follows the increasing order of hydrated ionic radii.

As for the Rothmund–Kornfeld semi-empirical approach, it can be employed on soils classified as Aridisol due to good fit with the experimental data. On the other hand, the Gaines and Thomas approach is only experimentally applicable since poses some restrictions concerning to salinity and carbonate contents in the studied soils.

Additional keywords: exchange equilibria, saline soils, thermodynamic models.


Acknowledgments

Support by PROYECTO LIMITE 2007 and DIPOG 2006 of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and financial support under FONDECYT project 11060265, and by DI-L-02/2007 from the Universidad Arturo Prat, is gratefully acknowledged.


References


Barticevic E, Gonzalez S, Aomine S (1975) Cation-exchange capacity of the sand fraction of some Chilean soils. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 22, 247–255. open url image1

Bond WJ (1995) On the Rothmund–Kornfeld description of cation exchange. Soil Science Society of America Journal 59, 436–443.
CAS |
open url image1

Bond WJ, Verburg K (1997) Comparison of methods for predicting ternary exchange from binary isotherms. Soil Science Society of America Journal 61, 444–454.
CAS |
open url image1

Bouyoucos GJ (1962) Hydrometer method improved for making particle size analysis on soils. Agronomy Journal 54, 464–465. open url image1

Chong G (1988) The Cenozoic saline deposits of the Chilean Andes between 18°00 and 27°00 south latitude. Earth Science 17, 137–151. open url image1

Escudey M, Díaz P, Foerster J, Galindo G (1997) Adsorbed ion activity coefficients in K–Ca exchange on soil fractions derived from volcanic materials. Australian Journal of Soil Research 35, 123–130.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Escudey M, Díaz P, Foerster J, Pizarro C, Galindo G (2001) Gaines–Thomas and Rothmund–Kornfeld descriptions of potassium–calcium exchange on variable surface charge soils. Communication Soil and Plant Analysis 32, 3087–3097.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Escudey M, Galindo G (1988) Potassium–calcium exchange on inorganic clay fractions of Chilean Andepts. Geoderma 41, 275–285.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Escudey M, Foerster J, Galindo G, Pizarro C (2002) Uso de la aproximación de Rothmund–Kornfeld para la descripción del intercambio catiónico binario en alumninosilicatos sintéticos de carga variable. Boletín de la Sociedad Chilena de Química 47, 349–359.
CAS |
open url image1

Gaines GL, Thomas HC (1953) Adsorption studies on clay minerals. II: A formulation of the thermodynamics of exchange adsorption. Journal of Chemical Physics 21, 714–718.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Galindo G, Foerster JE, Díaz P, Escudey M (1992) Determinación del punto isoeléctrico en suelos derivados de materiales volcánicos y sus fracciones. Boletín de la Sociedad Chilena Química 37, 315–322.
CAS |
open url image1

Luzio W (1986) Génesis y clasificación de los suelos de regiones áridas y desérticas de Chile. Boletin de la Sociedad Chilena de la Ciencia del Suelo 5, 107–140. open url image1

Mitchell JK (1993) ‘Fundamentals of soil behaviour.’ (John Wiley & Sons Publishing: New York)

Pizarro M (1994) Equilibrio de Intercambio catiónico K–Ca–Mg en suelos y sus fracciones. Tesis Licenciatura en Química, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Sadzawka A (1991) ‘Métodos de análisis de suelos. Serie La Platina No. 16.’ (INIA Publishing: Santiago, Chile)

Salazar I, Escudey M, Guajardo J, Goulding K (2002) Effects of organic matter and iron oxides on cation exchange equilibria and potassium selectivity in a volcanic ash soil of Chile. Communications in Soil and Plant Analysis 33, 3663–3677.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Stumm W (1996) ‘Aquatic chemistry: Chemical equilibria and rates in natural waters.’ (John Wiley & Sons Publishing: New York)