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Assignment on ion exchange in soil

CHM4943

Instructor: Fatima Jabbar Student: Usman Ghani Id: R2F17BSCH0062 Section: CF-317 Semester: 8th

INTRODUCTION

Soil colloids are the seat of reaction. Ion exchange (cation and anions) takes place in colloids.
The phenomenon of ion exchange is of great importance in agriculture. It has considerable
influence on the liberation of plant nutrients such as Ca, K, P etc. It controls soil structure and
crumb formation. It is also responsible for imparting a stable structure. It controls the processes
plays an important role in the reclamation of acid and alkali soils. It also influences the effect of
fertilizers and fertilizer practices.

Ion exchange is two types: (1) cation exchange or base exchange and (2) anion exchange or acid
exchange. Ion exchange is a reversible process in which cation and anion exchanged between
solid and liquid phase.
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CATION EXCHANGE OR BASE EXCHANGE

In a near neutral soil, Ca is remaining adsorbed on colloidal particle H ion generated as organic
and mineral acid formed due to decomposition of organic matter. In colloid, H ion is adsorbed
more strongly than is the Ca and H is chemically equivalent.
The reaction is as follow:

This phenomenon of the exchange of cations between soil and salt solution is known as calion
exchange or Base Exchange and the cations that take part in this reaction are called
exchangeable cations. It is the interchange between a cation in solution and another cation on
the surface of clay or organic matter (colloids). Thompson and Way (1892) first recognised
cation exchange phenomenon. They passed a solution of (NH ) SO through a soil column and
4 2 4

found that effluent contained no NH4 salt but CaSO . This phenomenon is always in equivalent
-
4

quantities of ions.

A. Types of silicate clay mineral

In case of kaolinite, monovalent cations are more strongly held than divalent, while in case of
montmorillonite, divalent cations are strongly held than monovalent cations. The normal order of
adsorbed cations on clay particles is:
H > Al > Ca = Mg > K = NH > Na .
+ +3 +2 +2 +
4
+ +

B. Significance of cation exchange

Cation exchange is an important reation in soil fertility, in causing and correcting soil acidity and
basicity. In changes altering soil physical properties, and as a mechanism in purifying or altering
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percolating Waters. The plant nutrients like calcium, magnesium and potassium are supplied to
plants in large measure from exchangeable forms.
Cation exchange is very important in soils because of the following relationships:
(l) The exchangeable K is a major source of plant K.
(2) The exchangeable Mg is often, a major source of plant Mg.
(3) The amount of lime required to raise the pH of an acidic soil is greater as the CEC is greater.
(4) Cation exchange sites hold Ca , Mg , K , Na and NH ions and slow down their losses by
+2 +2 + +
4
+

leaching.
(5) Cation exchange sites hold- fertilizer K+ and NH and greatly reduces their mobility in soils.
4
+

(6) Cation exchange sites adsorb many metals (Cd , Zn , Ni and Pb ) that might be present in
+2 +2 +2 +2

wastewater. Adsorption removes them from the percolating water, thereby cleansing the water
that drains into groundwater.

Anion exchange

The process of anion exchange is similar to that of cation exchange. Under certain conditions
hydrous oxides of iron and aluminium shows evidence of having positive charges on their crystal
surfaces. The positive charges of colloids are due to addition of hydrogen (H ) in hydroxyl group
+

(OH ) resulted in net positive charge (OH ). This positive charge will attract anions. The capacity
- 2+

for holding anions increases with increase in acidity. The lower the pH the greater is the
adsorption. All anions are not adsorbed equally readily. Some anions such as H PO are adsorbed 2 4

very quickly at all pH values in the acid as well as alkaline range, Cl and SO ions are adsorbed
-
4
--

slightly at low pH but none at neutral soil, while NO ions are not adsorbed at all. Hence, at the
3
-

pH commonly prevailing in cultivated soils- nitrate (NO ), chloride (Cl) and sulphate (SO ) ions
3 4

are easily lost by leaching. In general, the relative order of anion exchange is:
OH > H PO > SO > NO
-
2 4
-
4
-
3
-

This adsorbed negatively changed anion is replaceable as under:

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In this way there is fixation of phosphate ion, in which OH ion of silicate clay mineral is substitute
by H PO ion by isomorphrous substitution. The H PO ion becomes a part of the silicate clay
2 4 2 4

minerals and the phosphate fixed by this way is known as colloid bound phosphate. This
phosphate is not exchangeable and available to the plant. The anions like NO and OH are not
3

bound at pH above 7. The adsorbing power of anions is in the order of:

Importance of anion exchange in nutrient availability

The phenomenon of anion exchange assumes in relation to phosphate ions and their fixation. The
exchange is brought mainly by the replacement of OH ions of the clay minerals.

The adsorption of phosphate ions by clay particles from soil solution reduces its availability to
plants. This is also known as colloid bound phosphate fixation. The phosphate ion again becomes
available when lime is applied to increase the pH of acidic soil.
The OH ion originated not only from silicate clay minerals but also from hydrous oxides of iron
and aluminum present in the soil. The phosphates ions react with the hydrous oxides also get
fixed forming insoluble hydroxyl phosphate of ion and aluminum. Which is called saloid bound
phosphate.

If the reaction takes place at a low pH under strongly acid conditions, the phosphate ions are
irreversibly fixed and are totally unavailable for the use of plants.