9.

Soil Chemistry
Engr. Aaron Joseph J. Peñano

1
 Panalanging Ekumeniko ng URS
Amang banal, buong lugod po naming pinapupurihan at
niluluwalhati ang iyong pangalan kalakip ang aming pagmamahal at
pasasalamat sa inyong pagpapala at mga biyaya.

Hinihiling po namin ang iyong banal na patnubay sa University of

Rizal System at sa buong sambayanan.

Gabayan po ninyo kami upang magampanan namin ang aming mga

tungkulin na ipinagkatiwala ninyo sa amin sa diwa ng tapat na
paglilingkod.

2
 Panalanging Ekumeniko ng URS
Ibuhos po ninyo sa amin ang mga biyaya upang lumago kami sa
wagas na pag-ibig sa diyos at sa aming kapwa nang sa gayon ay
manahan sa amin ang katalinuhan, katarungan, at kapayapaan
habang binabalikat namin ang aming mga gampanin.

Sa tulong ng inyong pag-ibig at kahabagan, tulungan po ninyo kami

na mapagtagumpayan ang mga pagsubok sa aming buhay habang
tinatahak namin ang landas patungo sa iyo.

Itulot po ninyo na kayo ay manatili sa aming diwa, salita, at gawa sa

tuwina.
3
9. Soil Chemistry
Engr. Aaron Joseph J. Peñano

4
Outline
9.1 Introduction 9.9 Soil Color
9.2 Soil Profile 9.10 Metals in Soil
9.3 Ion Exchanges
9.4 Soil pH
9.5 Sorption and Precipitation
9.6 Soil Organic Matter Interactions
9.7 Oxidation and Reduction
Reactions
9.8 Soil Texture

5
9.1 Introduction1

▪ Soils transport and move water, provide homes for thousands of bacteria and
other creatures, and have many different arrangements of weathered rock
and minerals.

▪ Weathering causes the chemical composition of soils and minerals to change

over time but nothing changes the chemistry of soils faster than humans do.

6
9.1 Introduction
▪ Soil
- the biologically active, porous medium that has developed in the
uppermost layer of the Earth’s crust, a reservoir of water and nutrients,
medium for filtration and breakdown of harmful wastes, and a participant
in the carbon cycle and of other elements.3
- has evolved due to weathering by biological, climatic, geologic, and
topographic influences3

7
9.2 Soil Profile

2” Organic Layer
▪ Soil Profile 10” Topsoil
aka “zone of leaching”
- a vertical sequence of layers
(horizons) divided according to their Subsoil main
30”
composition and properties such as aka “zone of accumulation” layers
color and size of particles present
40” Parent material

Bedrock

8
 9.2 Soil Profile
O - accumulation of plant litter or humus on soil surface
A - aka “zone of leaching”
2” Organic Layer
- rich in organic matter and because of this, it is dark-
colored 10” Topsoil
aka “zone of leaching”
B - aka “zone of accumulation”
Subsoil main
- clay-rich; less fertile than topsoil but holds more 30”
aka “zone of accumulation” layers
moisture; lighter in color and less biological
activity; may contain calcite (in arid climates) 40” Parent material
C - underlying weathered rock from which A and B form
Bedrock
R - solid mass of rock igneous, sedimentary or
metamorphic in origin

9
9.3 Ion Exchanges1
▪ Ion Exchange
- involves the movement of cations (i.e. Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+) and anions (i.e. Cl-,
NO3-) through the soils

▪ Cation Exchange
- interchanging between a cation in the solution of water around the soil
particle, and another cation that is stuck in the clay surface
- causes the number of cations in the soil water solution to be smaller than
the number that is attached to soil particles

10
 9.3 Ion Exchanges1
▪ Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)
- the total amount of positive charges that the soil
can absorb
- impacts how quickly nutrients move through the
profile

▪ Low CEC - less fertile soil – cannot hold on to many

nutrients and usually contains less clays
- less able to hold spilt chemicals

▪ If your soil has low CEC, it is important to apply This diagram represents soil
fertilizer in small dose so it does not infiltrate cations attached firmly to the soil.
groundwater.
11
 9.4 Soil pH1
▪ Soil pH
- measure of soil acidity or alkalinity (pH range from 1 to 14)
- usually range from 4 to 10
- one of the most important properties for plant growth
- controls the solubility of nutrients as well as toxic metals2
- i.e. Fe becomes less available to plants at higher pH (iron deficiency)
- comes from the parent material during soil formation, but may be modified by
humans to better suit plant growth
- significantly affects microbial activity and the biogeochemical processes that they
participate in
▪ Crops prefer pH values ranging between 5.5 to 8 (specific value depends on the crop)

12
9.5 Sorption and Precipitation1
▪ Soil particles have the ability to capture different nutrients and ions.

▪ Sorption
- process where one substance takes up or holds another substance.

▪ Soils with high sorption can hold a lot of extra environmental contaminants,
like phosphorus, onto the particles.

▪ Precipitation
- occurs during chemical reactions when a nutrient or chemical in the soil
solution (water around soil particles) transforms into a solid
- very important if soils are really salty

13
9.6 Soil Organic Matter Interactions1
▪ Soil Organic Matter Living
Organisms Fresh
- materials derived from the decay of <5% Residue
plants and animals <10%

- contain many hydrogen and carbon

compounds the arrangement and
formation of which influence a soil’s Stabilized
Organic Decomposing
ability to handle spilt chemicals and Organic Matter
Matter
other pollutants (Humus) (Active Fraction)
33-50% 33-50%

Soil has four major categories of organic matter

inside of it, including active and long term types.

14
9.7 Oxidation and Reduction Reactions1
▪ Soils that alternate between wet and dry go from having a lot of oxygen to not
a lot of oxygen. The presence of oxygen determines how soils chemically
react.

▪ Oxidation - loss of electrons at soil surface

▪ Reduction - gain of electrons at soil surface

▪ Redox reactions occur everyday and are responsible for creating things like
rust. Because they contain a lot of iron, soils can also rust, or if they contain a
lot of water, can turn a light gray color. This is partially responsible for all of the
different colors that are found, and creates the speckles usually found deeper
in the soil.

15
9.8 Soil Texture

▪ The particles that make up soil are categorized into three groups by size –
sand, silt, and clay. The relative percentages of sand, silt, and clay are what
give soil its texture. A clay loam texture soil, for example, has nearly equal
parts of sand, silt, and clay. These textural seperates result from the
weathering process.4

16
9.8 Soil Texture

ex. 30% clay with 60% sand is 10% silt

and is called sandy clay loam.

size comparison
17
9.9 Soil Color

▪ Soil color is influenced by its mineralogy (contribution of minerals to the

chemistry, physics, biology and fertility of soil and their relation to the
generation of soil) or what is present in it (i.e. iron-rich soil: deep orange-
brown to yellowish brown; high in organic matter: brown/black)4

18
9.10 Metals in Soil

▪ K, P, Ca, Mg levels in soil act as nutrients for microorganism growth

▪ Some heavy metals may negatively affect microorganism growth and
enzyme activity

19
Questions?

20
21
References
1. Cabandong, G. A., & Rubio, J. C. (2020). Course guide in CHEM IE (chemistry for engineers).
College of Engineering, University of Rizal System.
2. Soil acidity and adjusting soil pH. (n. d.). Pressbooks. Retrieved November 2, 2021, from
https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/soilslabmanual/chapter/soil-acidity-and-
adjusting-soil-ph/
3. Sposito, G. (2021, October 22) Soil. Britannica. Retrieved November 2, 2021 from
https://www.britannica.com/science/soil/Soil-formation
4. Physical properties of soil. (n. d.). Soil Science Society of America. Retrieved November 2, 2021,
from https://www.soils4teachers.org/physical-properties

22