Extractable iron and aluminium predict the P sorption capacity of Thai soils
The objective of this study was to determine if dithionite- and oxalate-extractable Fe and Al can be used to predict the P sorption capacity of Thai soils. Forty-five samples from diverse soil types were taken from surface and subsurface horizons of soils on sandstone, shale/limestone, granite, and basalt. The samples were analysed for P sorption, dithionite- and oxalate-extractable Fe and Al (Fed, Feo, Ald, Alo), specific surface area (SSA), and other soil properties. Generally P sorption data for these soils were slightly better fitted by the Langmuir equation than the Freundlich equation. The Langmuir P sorption maximum ranged from 35 to 1111 μg/g with a median value of 370 μg/g soil. Soils developed on basalt had higher values of P sorption maximum (xm) (range 400–1111 μg/g, median 597 μg/g) than soils on other parent materials. Fed concentrations in soils (4–74 g/kg) were much higher than Feo concentrations (0.2–13.8 g/kg) with values of Feo/Fed ranging from 0.01 to 0.28 (median 0.09), indicating that most of the free iron oxides were crystalline. Amounts of Ald and Alo were about equal with median values of 1.6 and 1.0 g/kg, respectively. About 80% of the samples had SSA values <40 m2/g. Both the P sorption maximum and Freundlich k were linearly related to SSA (R2 = 0.77, 0.74), Ald (R2 = 0.78, 0.79), Alo (R2 = 0.64, 0.74), Fed (R2 = 0.48, 0.41), Feo (R2 = 0.43, 0.72), and clay content (R2 = 0.48, 0.36). Stepwise regression indicated that 81% of the variability in P sorption by these soils could be explained by a combination of dithionite and oxalate Fe and Al, however, Ald alone is almost as effective in predicting the P sorption capacity of Thai soils.