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Interactions between cations and water molecule bridges in soil organic matter

  • SOILS, SEC 3 • REMEDIATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CONTAMINATED OR DEGRADED LANDS • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

Nutrient release, soil wettability, water binding, and matrix rigidity of soil organic matter (SOM) can be affected by cross-links between segments of SOM, cations, and water molecule bridges (WaMB). Not all cation effects on SOM can be explained with the currently accepted idea that multivalent cations cross-link organic matter segments via direct cation bridges (CaB). The objective was to understand these interactions and their effect on SOM matrix rigidity and wettability.

Materials and methods

We modified cation composition of two peats and an organic surface layer (OSL) using cation exchange resin to remove cations and solutions of Na+, Ca2+, or Al3+ to enrich samples with cations. SOM matrix rigidity was determined at 4 and >8 weeks after treatment via the WaMB transition temperature T*, using differential scanning calorimetry. Wettability was measured via sessile drop contact angle (CA).

Results and discussion

The effect of cation removal on T* depended on cation exchange capacity and initial cation content. Cation addition to OSL increased T*. This effect increased with increasing cation loading and valency, and T* correlated with CA. Classical cross-linking can neither explain the higher heterogeneous matrix of Ca-treated than Al-treated samples nor the aging-induced convergence of T* for different cations and concentrations. The latter is likely due to interaction between CaB and WaMB in SOM.

Conclusions

Associations of CaB and WaMB evolve slowly and form a supramolecular network in SOM. Those dynamic associations can fix molecular arrangements inducing water repellency and increase kinetic barriers for the release and uptake of water and nutrients from aged soil.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support of the CROSSLINK project and the priority program SPP 1315 by the German Research Foundation (DFG, SCHA 849/6, and SCHA 849/8). Furthermore, we thank Susanne Woche and Jörg Bachmann for sampling of peat 1, Friederike Lang for providing the OSL sample, as well as for many helpful discussions, Sören Thiele-Bruhn and Tatjana Schneckenburger for providing the peat 2 sample and analyzing the Al samples, and Sabina Hens for her help in the laboratory.

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Author notes

  1. Sandra Spielvogel

    Present address: Institute of Integrated Natural Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Universitätsstr. 1, 56070, Koblenz, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Environmental Sciences, Department of Environmental and Soil Chemistry, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstr. 7, 76829, Landau, Germany

    Gabriele E. Schaumann, Daniela Gildemeister, Yamuna Kunhi Mouvenchery, Sandra Spielvogel & Dörte Diehl

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  1. Gabriele E. Schaumann
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  2. Daniela Gildemeister
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  3. Yamuna Kunhi Mouvenchery
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Correspondence to Gabriele E. Schaumann.

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Responsible editor: Jianming Xu

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Schaumann, G.E., Gildemeister, D., Kunhi Mouvenchery, Y. et al. Interactions between cations and water molecule bridges in soil organic matter. J Soils Sediments 13, 1579–1588 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0746-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0746-7

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