Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
The soil ecosystem
Published in Stephen R. Gliessman, V. Ernesto Méndez, Victor M. Izzo, Eric W. Engles, Andrew Gerlicz, Agroecology, 2023
Stephen R. Gliessman, V. Ernesto Méndez, Victor M. Izzo, Eric W. Engles, Andrew Gerlicz
Many soils increase in acidity through natural processes. Soil acidification is a result of leaching of bases as water carries them downward through the soil profile, the uptake of nutrient ions by plants and their removal through harvest or grazing, and the production of organic acids by plant roots, microorganisms, and decomposition of organic matter. Soils that are poorly buffered against these input or removal processes will tend to increase in acidity.
Desertification and Land Degradation Processes
Published in Ajai, Rimjhim Bhatnagar, Desertification and Land Degradation, 2022
The acidification of soil is relatively a slow process, and the soil becomes more acidic as time passes. Thus, the old soils, particularly in the humid regions, are more acidic than the younger soils. Soil acidification reduces the primary productivity by accelerating the leaching of nutrients such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and manganese, resulting in nutrient deficiencies for the plants/crops (Haynes and Swift 1986). Decreased availability of nutrients and reduced microbiological activity due to soil acidification may lead to increased phytotoxicity, which may affect the plants/crops health and productivity. Soil acidification results in the reduction of crop/vegetation cover and, therefore, can lead to an increase in soil erosion by water/wind (Slattery and Hollier 2002). In addition to the on-sight negative impact on the crop/plants, soil acidification may also lead to surface water acidification even at far-away places through sediment transport mechanisms.
Welfare Effect
Published in Wayne T. Davis, Joshua S. Fu, Thad Godish, Air Quality, 2021
Wayne T. Davis, Joshua S. Fu, Thad Godish
Air pollution can impact agricultural crops in several ways depending upon the type of pollutant, but damage typically occurs to foliage. Gaseous pollutants such as NOx, SOx, and ozone enter plant cells through stomata, which are openings on leaf surfaces that allow uptake of CO2 during plant metabolism. Deposition of NOx and SOx particulate can also acidify soil and cause plant damage. Soil acidification impacts soil chemistry, and it can reduce or increase the availability of key plant nutrients; reduction of nutrients can lead to slow growth or plant death, while excessive nutrients can lead to toxic conditions that can damage plant roots.
Evaluating the treatment of heavy metals in acidic wastewater by activated carbon
Published in Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 2021
Susan Serfontein, Makhosazana P. Aghoghovwia, Olusola O. Ololade
This study showed that the addition of AC increased the pH of the soil and the acidic wastewater leachates. When acidic wastewater is leached through the soil without AC, as shown with the control column, it can lead to acidification of the soil. Zhou et al.[22] leached simulated acid rain through contaminated soils. The authors found that biochar amendment increased the acidic buffering capacity of the soil and decreased HM concentrations in the leachate compared to no biochar amendment. According to Chintala et al.,[35] acidic soil has limited use and decreases the nutrient bioavailability for plants. Soil acidification is also responsible for metal mobilization and subsequent leaching into groundwater and the ecosystem.[22] The higher the pH of the soil, the more resistant it is to acidic wastewater and the higher its buffering capacity.[22] In summary, the addition of AC to the soil increases the soil pH and WHC and decreases the amount of leachate produced (Figure 2).
Neutralization of acidic soil using Myxococcus xanthus: Important parameters and their implications
Published in Geosystem Engineering, 2021
MinJung Cho, SeonYeong Park, EunYoung You, ChangGyun Kim
Soil acidification has become a serious concern in many parts of the world, with negative effects on soil fertility, agricultural productivity, and global food security (Goulding, 2016; Tang et al., 2003). The acidification potential has increased due to natural weathering of bed-rocks, acid rain, deposition from anthropogenic activities, and overuse of chemical fertilizers (Whitten et al., 2000). Especially, acid rain/deposition is a severe environmental problem in an ecosystem, attributed to the emission of acidic gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides (Duan et al., 2016). At low soil pH, the loss of basic cations (e.g., Ca, Mg) in the soil reduces the bioavailability of macronutrients (Brady et al., 2008; de, Ni et al., 2018) and increases the proportion of the acid cations (e.g., Al, Mn), causing detrimental toxicity against ecosystem. These nutritional imbalances and toxicity in acidified soil (< pH 5.0) interferes with plant growth and vitality (Sumner & Noble, 2003; Zou et al., 2018).
Phytoremediation efficiency of Brassica juncea cultivars at vegetative and reproductive growth stages under individual and combined treatment of fluoride and aluminium
Published in International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2018
Manisha Yadav, Nilima Kumari, Vinay Sharma
About half of the world's agricultural land is acidic (Gupta et al.2013). The mineral composition of the soil determines the acidification level of the soil (Ryan and Delhaize 2012). Many factors, viz., climate, topography, and a few biological factors affect the soil and its pH (Miyasaka et al.2007). Soil acidification mainly occurs naturally when cations leach from soil and also increases by acidic rain (Ryan and Delhaize 2012). Aluminium (Al) toxicity is a major limiting factor for agriculture in acidic soil (Gupta et al.2013). In soil, Al is one of the plentiful metals and contributes 7% (approx) of the earth's crust. Excessive Al content in the soil causes higher accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which leads to oxidative damage in plants (Yamamoto et al.2001; Zheng and Yang 2005; He et al.2014).