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NanoSIMS as a tool for characterizing soil model compounds and organomineral associations in artificial soils

  • SPECTRO-MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOGEOCHEMICAL INTERFACES IN SOIL
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Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Secondary ion mass spectrometry at the nanoscale (NanoSIMS) is a new and promising technique in soil science, as it allows us to explore the elemental and isotopic composition of a solid sample with high sensitivity at a submicron scale. In this study, we demonstrate that it is possible to differentiate the major components of soils by this technique.

Materials and methods

For this purpose, we employed samples from incubated mixtures of soil components of known composition (clay minerals, Fe oxide, organic material, and quartz), so-called artificial soils. Samples were prepared from particle size and density fractions of soils of various compositions and investigated with reflected light and electron microscopy in combination with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy prior to NanoSIMS analysis.

Results and discussion

Our results show that we were able to show the submicron arrangement of the various components and to differentiate between charcoal and soil organic matter. Attachment of organic material to mineral surfaces was predominantly found to occur in patchy structures on the clay minerals, whereas only little sorption of homogeneously distributed organic material onto Fe oxides occurred. Although there are several reasons conceivable why we did not detect more sorption of organic matter to Fe oxides, it is likely that this is caused by the neutral pH of the soils, hampering sorption to the variable-charged surface sites of the Fe oxide.

Conclusions

Consequently, NanoSIMS enables the analysis of submicron processes in soil science-related research. However, the very heterogeneous matrix of soil particles leading to various ionization rates will make attempts for a quantitative analysis difficult, which is also due to a lack in the availability of suitable standards representing these complex matrices.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Maria Greiner, Zohre Javaheri, Zahra Kazemi, Ulrike Maul, and Samira Ravash for the laboratory work related to the artificial soils. Moreover, we are grateful to Dr. Marianne Hanzlik (Institute of Electron Microscopy, Technische Universität München, Garching) for the assistance in SEM-EDX measurements. Funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) is acknowledged for the NanoSIMS instrument (KO 1035/38-1) and the artificial soil experiment that was funded within the framework of the SPP1315 “Biogeochemical Interfaces in Soil” (KO 1035/33-1). Finally, we thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments which improved the quality of the paper significantly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Bodenkunde, Technische Universität München, 85350, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany

    Katja Heister, Carmen Höschen, Geertje J. Pronk, Carsten W. Mueller & Ingrid Kögel-Knabner

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  1. Katja Heister
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  2. Carmen Höschen
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  3. Geertje J. Pronk
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Correspondence to Katja Heister.

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Heister, K., Höschen, C., Pronk, G.J. et al. NanoSIMS as a tool for characterizing soil model compounds and organomineral associations in artificial soils. J Soils Sediments 12, 35–47 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-011-0386-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-011-0386-8

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