CHEMISTR

Soil
Y
 Soil
Chemistry
Soils transport and move
water, provide homes for
thousands of bacteria and other
creatures, and have many
different arrangements of
weathered rock and minerals. 
CHEMICA
Processes
 Exchan
Ion
ge
Ion exchange involves the
movement of cations
(positively charged elements
like calcium, magnesium,
and sodium) and anions
(negatively charged
elements like chloride, and
compounds like nitrate)
through the soils.
 EXCHANG
EXCHAN
Cation GE
E
Cation exchange is the
interchanging between a
cation in the solution of
water around the soil
particle, and another cation
that is stuck to the clay
surface.
 Cation
Exchange
CAPACI
The total amount of positive

TY
charges that the soil can
absorb is called the Cation
Exchange Capacity . CEC
impacts how quickly
nutrients move through the
profile.
Soil pH
the soil pH is a measure of soil
acidity or alkalinity. pH can
range from 1 to 14, with values
 0-7 being acidic, and 7-14 being
alkaline. Soils usually range from
4 to 10.  The pH is one of the
most important properties
involved in plant growth, as well
as understanding how rapidly
reactions occur in the soil.
Soil pH
negative log of the hydrogen ion
concentration
(also a measure of OH-
concentration)

If H+ concentration > OH- :

acidic
If OH- > H+ : basic
Soil pH is pH of solution, NOT
exchange complex
General Soil
pH Conditions
“Slightly acid” “Slightly basic”
6.0 – 6.6 7.4 – 8.0

“Moderately acid” “Moderately basic”

5.0 – 6.0 8.0 – 9.0

“Strongly acid”
“Strongly basic”
< 5.0
> 9.0
CAUSES
CAUSES OF
OF
SOIL
SOIL BASICITY
BASICITY

1. Hydrolysis of basic cations

2. Hydrolysis of carbonates
 HYDROLYSIS
HYDROLYSIS
OF
OF
BASIC
BASIC CATIONS
CATIONS
• also called exchangeable bases
• Extent to which exchangeable bases
will hydrolyze depends on ability to
compete with H+ ions for exchange
sites.
 HYDROLYSIS
HYDROLYSIS
OF
CARBONATES
CARBONATES
• As long as there are carbonates in the soil, carbonate hydrolysis
controls pH.
• Calcareous soils remain alkaline because H+ ions combine with
OH- to form H2O.
• For those soils to become acid, all carbonates must be leached.
• Basic cations replaced by Al+3 and H+
• CaCO3 + H2O Ca+2 + HCO3- + OH-
• Na2CO3 + H2O Na + HCO3- + OH- (higher pH
because Na more soluble)
 CAUSES
OF
1. Accumulation of soluble acids
SOIL
SOIL
2. Exchangeable acids (Al+3, H+)

ACIDITY
ACIDITY
 ACCUMULA
TION OF
a. Carbonic acid
SOLUBLE
(respiration and atmospheric CO2)
b. Mineralization of organic matter

ACIDS
(produces organic, nitric, sulfuric acids)

Precipitation increases both a and b

EXCHANG
Acids
EABLE
a. Carbonic acid
(respiration and atmospheric CO2)
b. Mineralization of organic matter
(produces organic, nitric, sulfuric acids)

Precipitation increases both a and b

EXCHANGEABLE
EXCHANGEABLE ACIDS
ACIDS

• H+ or Al+3 dissociate

• Al+3 ties up OH- from water, releases an equiva

amount of H+ ions.

Al+3 + H2O AlOH+2 + H+

Sorpti
on Sorption is the process in which one
substance takes up or holds another. In this
case, soils that have high sorption can hold a
lot of extra environmental contaminants, like
phosphorus, onto the particles.
Precipitati
on
Soil precipitation occurs during chemical
reactions when a nutrient or chemical in the
soil solution (water around soil particles)
transforms into a solid.
SoilINTERACT
Organic
INTERACTI
Matter
ONS
IONS
Soil organic matter (OM), which
are materials derived from the
decay of plants and animals. They
contain many hydrogen and carbon
compounds. The arrangement and
formation of these compounds
influence a soils ability to handle
spilt chemicals and other
pollutants.
 Oxidation
Oxidation
REDUCTI
& ON
Oxidation is the loss of electrons, and reduction is the
gaining of electrons at the soil surface. These type of
reactions occur every day, and are responsible for
creating things like rust. Soils, because they contain a
lot of iron, 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.