Introduction to Soil Chemistry

ALFRED R. CONKLIN JR., PhD, is Professor of Agriculture and Soil at Wilmington College, where he teaches soil science, organic chemistry, and chemistry and the environment. He is also the International Director of the International Undergraduate Research Symposium. The recipient of three Fulbright Awards, Dr. Conklin has more than four decades of experience extracting and analyzing soil samples from Africa, Asia, and North and South America.

• PREFACE xiINSTRUMENTAL METHOD ACRONYMS xivCOMMON HYPHENATED INSTRUMENTAL METHOD ABBREVIATIONS xvABBREVIATED PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS xviCHAPTER 1 SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF SOIL CHEMISTRY 11.1 The 19th Century 31.2 The End of the 19th and the Beginning of the 20th Century 81.3 The 20th Century 111.4 The End of the 20th and the Beginning of the 21st Century 141.5 Conclusion 15Problems 15References 16Bibliography 18CHAPTER 2 SOIL BASICS PART I: LARGE FEATURES 192.1. Horizonation 282.2 Peds 332.3 Soil Color 362.4 Soil Naming 382.5 The Landscape 392.6 Relationship of Large Features to Soil Chemistry, Soil Analysis, and Instrumentation 402.7 Conclusions 42Problems 42References 43Bibliography 43CHAPTER 3 SOIL BASICS PART II: MICROSCOPIC TO ATOMIC ORBITAL DESCRIPTION OF SOIL CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS 44Soil Components Independent 453.1 Soil Solids 45Soil Components Interacting 533.2. Bonding Considerations 53Soil Components in Combination 583.3 Surface Features 583.4 Energy Considerations 603.5 Reaction Paths 613.6 Steric Factors 623.7 Rate Factors 623.8 All Factored Together 633.9 Micelles 633.10 Coated Surfaces 633.11 Conclusions 65Problems 65References 66Bibliography 67CHAPTER 4 SOIL BASICS PART III: THE BIOLOGICAL AND ORGANIC COMPONENTS IN SOIL 68Biota of Soil 694.1 Animals 694.2 Plants 714.3 Microorganisms 75Biological and Organic Chemicals of Soil 794.4 Biochemical 794.5 Bioorganic 814.6 Organic Compounds 814.7 Analysis 874.8 Conclusions 89Problems 90References 90Bibliography 92Web Sites 92CHAPTER 5 SOIL BASICS PART IV: THE SOIL AIR AND SOIL SOLUTION 935.1 Soil Air 945.2 Water 955.3 Solubility 985.4 Elements in Solution 995.5 Dissolved Gases 995.6 Compounds in Solution 1005.7 Inorganic Ions in Solution 1025.8 Organic Ions in Solution 1045.9 Soil pH 1055.10 The Soil Solution around Particles 1065.11 Distribution between Soil Solids and Soil Solution 1065.12 Oxidative and Reductive Reactions in the Soil Solution 1085.13 Measuring Soil Water 1095.14 Conclusion 112Problems 112References 113Bibliography 114CHAPTER 6 SPECIATION 1156.1 Cations 1186.2 Anions 1236.3 Isolation of Species 1286.4 Sampling, Sample Storage, and Speciation 1296.5 Conclusions 130Problems 131References 131Bibliography 134CHAPTER 7 SOIL AND SOIL SOLUTION SAMPLING, SAMPLE TRANSPORT, AND STORAGE 1357.1 Field Sampling 1367.2 Sampling Cropped Land 1477.3 Environmental Sampling 1487.4 Other Environmental Sampling Situations 1487.5 Sample Transport and Storage 1487.6 Laboratory Sampling 1497.7 Sampling the Soil Solution 1537.8 Conclusions 155Problems 156References 157Bibliography 158CHAPTER 8 DIRECT AND INDIRECT MEASUREMENT IN SOIL ANALYSIS 1598.1 Direct Measurements 1608.2 Mediated Direct Measurement 1668.3 Indirect Soil Measurements 1688.4 Destructive Soil Analysis Methods 1708.5 Soil Solution 1718.6 Soil Solids 1718.7 Conclusions 172Problems 173References 173Bibliography 174CHAPTER 9 ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENTS 1759.1 The Basic Electrochemical Cell 1779.2 Electricity Generation in Soil 1779.3 Potentiometry (Electrodes in Soil Measurements) 1789.4 Voltammetry 1879.5 Electrical Conductivity 1879.6 Time-Domain Reflectometry 1889.7 Porous Block 1899.8 Other Methods 1899.9 Conclusions 189Problems 190References 190Bibliography 192CHAPTER 10 TITRIMETRIC MEASUREMENTS 19310.1 Soil Titration 19510.2 Titration of Soil pH 19710.3 Organic Matter 20010.4 Ammonia 20010.5 Kjeldahl: Organic Nitrogen 20210.6 Nitrite and Nitrate 20310.7 Carbonate Determination 20410.8 Halogen Ion Determination 20510.9 pH–Stat Titrations 20610.10 Conclusions 207Problems 207References 208CHAPTER 11 EXTRACTION OF INORGANICS 20911.1 Extraction Equipment 21011.2 Water as a Soil Extractant 21111.3 Acid Extractants 21811.4 Extractants for Basic Soils 22211.5 Microwave-Assisted Extraction 22411.6 Ultrasonic Extraction 22511.7 Sequential Extraction 22511.8 Ion Exchange Resin Extractions 22611.9 Surfactants 22711.10 Conclusion 227Problems 227References 228Bibliography 230CHAPTER 12 EXTRACTION OF ORGANICS 23112.1 Sampling Handling before Extraction 23512.2 Extraction Equipment 23512.3 Soil Organic Matter Extraction Solvents 24312.4 Cleanup 24712.5 Conclusion 250Problems 250References 251Bibliography 252CHAPTER 13 CHROMATOGRAPHY 25413.1 Fundamentals of Chromatography 25613.2 Gas Chromatography 25713.3 High-Performance Liquid Chromatography 26413.4 Thin-Layer Chromatography 26513.5 Electrophoresis 26713.6 Identification of Compounds Separated by Chromatographic Procedures 26813.7 Quantification 27013.8 Conclusion 271Problems 271References 272Bibliography 273CHAPTER 14 SPECTROSCOPY AND SPECTROMETRY 27414.1 Spectral Overlap 27514.2 Noise 27614.3 The Visible Region 27714.4 Ultraviolet Region 27814.5 Infrared Spectroscopy 28014.6 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 28614.7 Mass Spectrometry 28714.8 Atomic Spectroscopy 28814.9 Color Measurement: The Spectrophotometer 29214.10 Regression Analysis 29614.11 Relationship to the Original Sample 29614.12 X-ray Diffraction 29714.13 X-ray Fluorescence 29714.14 Remote Sensing 29914.15 Conclusion 299Problems 300References 300Bibliography 303CHAPTER 15 HYPHENATED METHODS IN SOIL ANALYSIS 30415.1 Sample Preparation 30715.2 Sample Destroyed 30715.3 Nondestructive Methods 31315.4 Triple Hyphenated Methods 31415.5 Conclusions 316Problems 316References 317Bibliography 318INDEX 320

“The book is well suited as a good introduction for by measurement advanced students or for the professional entry. The comprehensive index is very helpful.”  (Journal of Horticulture, 1 October 2014)