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SOIL CHEMISTRY
Arbelle S. Masaga
TUP Instructor

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Soil
It is a mixture of minerals,
organic matter, gases, liquid and
myriad of macro-and micro-organism
that can support plant life.

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Four Important Function of Soil
1. As a medium for plant growth
2. As a medium of water storage, supply and purification
3. As a modifier of the atmosphere
4. As a habitat for various organisms

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Components of Soil
1.Organic Materials- living and decomposed organisms
2.Inorganic Material- dirt (sand, silt and clay)
3.Air- humid; rich in carbon dioxide, low on oxygen
4.Water- fills up the pores of the soil; supports life in the soil

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Formation
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Master
The soil has taken thousands of years to form. Soil formation
takes place in the following ways:
1. Big rocks break down into smaller rocks by continuous action of wind
and rain. It takes many years for these rocks to break down into
smaller rocks.
2. Rocks are mainly broken by two types of weathering- physical
weathering and chemical weathering. A number of natural forces,
called agents, work to break down the parent rock into tiny particles
of soil. These agents include temperature changes, water, the sun’s
heat, and plants and animals.
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 Physical Weathering Chemical Weathering
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Biological Weathering

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3. These pieces get further broken down to form sand and silt
and, ultimately, into finer particles and the process
continues. This process is very slow. It takes thousands of
years to form a just 1 cm layer of soil. These fine particles
form the top layer of the soil.

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Soil Profile
The soil profile is one of the most important
concepts in soil science. It is defined as a vertical section
of the soil that is exposed when a soil pit, or hole, is dug
from the surface of the soil to the underlying bedrock.

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Layers Master title style
of Soil
The soil profile is composed of a series of horizons or layers
of soil stacked one on top of the other. These layers or horizons are
represented by letters O, A, E, C, B and R.

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1. The O-Horizon
The O horizon is the upper layer of the topsoil which is
mainly composed of organic materials such as dried leaves, grasses,
dead leaves, small rocks, twigs, surface organisms, fallen trees, and
other decomposed organic matter. It contains about 20 to 30% of
organic matter. This horizon of soil is often black brown or dark
brown in color and this is mainly because of the presence of organic
content.

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2. The A-Horizon or Topsoil
This layer is rich in organic material and is known as the
humus layer. This layer consists of both organic matter and other
decomposed materials. The topsoil is soft and porous to hold
enough air and water.
In this layer, the seed germination takes place and new roots
are produced which grows into a new plant. This layer consists of
microorganisms such as earthworms, fungi, bacteria, etc.

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3. Theto
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This layer is composed of nutrients leached from the O and A horizons.
This layer is more common in forested areas and has lower clay content.

4. The B-Horizon or Subsoil

It is the subsurface horizon, present just below the topsoil and above
the bedrock. It is comparatively harder and compact than topsoil. It contains
less humus, soluble minerals, and organic matter. It is a site of deposition of
certain minerals and metal salts such as iron oxide.
This layer holds enough water than the topsoil and is lighter brown due
to the presence of clay soil. The soil of horizon-A and horizon-B is often
mixed while ploughing the fields.
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5. The C-Horizon or Saprolite
This layer is devoid of any organic matter and is made up of
broken bedrock. This layer is also known as saprolite. The
geological material present in this zone is cemented.

6. The R-Horizon
It is a compacted and cemented layer. Different types of rocks
such as granite, basalt and limestone are found here.

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Sedimentation and Chemical Pollution
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Sedimentation
It is the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out of
the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against the
barrier.

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Sedimentation process comprises the following aspects:
1. Erosion- refers to the process of weathering, corrosion or
abrasion of a material to form small particles.

2. Transportation- It is due to the movement in the fluid occurs in

water bodies such as rivers, lakes, oceans and sea, due to
currents and tides and glaciers under the influence of wind.

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3. Deposition- the sediment particles carried by wind, water or ice
are laid down near the banks or the shores.

4. Compaction and cementation- the deeply buried sediments are

under pressure because of the weight of overlying layers, which
causes the grains to pack tightly. This is compaction. Cementation
involves the sticking of the sediment particles together with the help
of cementing minerals such as calcium carbonate, silicon dioxide,
iron oxide and clay minerals.

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Global
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1. Sediment deposition affects the quality of water and its suitability for human
consumption.
2. Loss of important or sensitive aquatic habitat
3. Decrease in fishery resources
4. Loss of recreation attributes such as boating, fishing and swimming.
5. Corals have been observed to be intolerant to sediments as it affects the physical
and biological processes, which hampers their existence.

6. Damage of agriculture land because the harmful materials in sediments reduce

the fertility and productivity of soils. 1717
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Corrective measures of Sedimentation
Effective sedimentation control measures can be
accomplished only when the soil surface is protected from the
erosive forces of wind, rain and runoff.

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Chemical Pollution
Chemical pollution is defined as the presence or increase in
our environment of chemical pollutants that are not naturally present
there or are found in amounts higher than their natural background
values. Most of the chemicals that pollute the environment are man-
made, resulted from the various activities in which toxic chemicals
are used for various purposes.

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Causes of Chemical Pollution
1. Insecticides and Chemical Fertilizers

- Chemical fertilizers and insecticides used by farmers cause

chemical pollution.

- Commonly used insecticides kill many useful insects that hampers

the growth of.

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2. Refuses, waste material and plastic

- Improper disposal of dirt and garbage

- Noxious substance in dirt spread out in the air cause atmospheric

pollution

- Plastic is non decomposing substance and it will ultimately pollute

the environment

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3. Smoke from means of transport and industries

- Gases emitted by vehicles such as carbon dioxide, carbon

monoxide cause greater pollution

4. Food Colorings

- Colors are used in foods and drinks to make them attractive

- Affects human health

- Cause serious diseases like cancer

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Control Measures
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1. Establishment and implementation of serious rules and regulations
2. Farmers should be encouraged to use organic fertilizers
3. Train farmers to proper use of chemical fertilizers
4. Industrial waste should be filtered before mixing into ground water
5. Noxious smokes rom industries should not be allowed to spread in the
air.
6. Awareness about the consequences of using harmful substance in food.
7. Unnecessary use of insecticides and fertilizers should be discouraged
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Thank you!

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