Topic : CHEMICAL BEHAVIOUR

OF SUBMERGED SOIL
Name : Hannan Samar
2014-ag-3395
Department of soil sciences
Course code: CHEM-501
course title : PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY-1
Teacher : DR SHAFIQ UR REHMAN
 Submerged soil

• cause (something) to be under water.

• When the soil exists below water, it is in a
submerged condition.
 Chemical behavior of submerged soil
• The major features of submerged or waterlogged soil is the
lack of oxygen and the abundance of electrons
• The anaerobic conditions of submerged or waterlogged soils
allow certain reactions
• As the partial pressure of O2 decreases, reduction conditions
prevail
• When O2 is depleted microorganisms will use NO3 as a
terminal electron acceptor and then Mn and Fe-oxides. The
sequences and the range of these redox reactions are
• Reaction Eh at pH 7.0 measured Eh
• (mv) (mv)

• O2 disappearance 820 600-400

• ½ O2 + 2e  + 2H + = H2O
• No3  reduction:
• NO3 + 2e  + 2H + = NO2 + H2O 540 500-200
• Mn2+ formation:
• MnO2 + 2e  + 4H+ = Mn2+ + 2H2O 400 400-200
• Fe2 + formation:
• FeOOH + e  + 3H+ = Fe2+ + 2H2O 170 300-100
• HS formation:
• SO42 +9H+ 6e = HS  +4H2O 160 0-150
• H2 formation:
• H+ + e  = ½ H2 410 150(220)
• Table suggests that some reactions in soil may occur
concurrently.
• For example reduction of NO3 MnO2 and appearance of Fe2+
Mn2+ can overlap with each other because of the overlapping
ranges of Eh values.
• With waterlogged soils, the concentrations of Fe2+ and Mn2+
may reach levels that could be toxic to plants Because of the
reduction of NO3- in paddy soil (rice field)
• NH4+ fertilizer is recommended to avoid losses of N
• It should be mentioned here that soil are never uniformly
anoxic
• There are always small pockets that contain sufficient O2 for
oxidation
• The Chemistry of flooded soils or rice paddy soil is essentially
the same as shown the table
• Low O2 availability and the building up of CO2 and partial
pressure are the main features of such soil.
 ANY QUIESTION ?

THANKS ;)