Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-qlrfm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-08T21:00:56.196Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The influence of hydrogen-ion concentration on the decomposition of soil Organic matter by hydrogen peroxide (With two text-figures.)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. S. Hosking
Affiliation:
Waite Agricultural Research Institute1, Glen Osmond, South Australia.

Extract

The decomposition of the organic matter of the soil by means of hydrogen peroxide is shown to be a function of the hydrogen-ion concentration of the soil, alkaline soils permitting of a very low degree of oxidation, while with acid soils up to 90 per cent, of the organic matter is destroyed.

The results obtained with a range of soils suggest that a portion of the organic matter is oxidised irrespective of the soil reaction, while the oxidation of the remainder is a definite function of the hydrogen-ion concentration, the relation being expressed by the equation

The proportion of the organic matter oxidised further appears to be a definite function of the clay content of the soil. Alkaline soils containing free manganese dioxide also show small losses.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1932

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

(1)Robinson, G. W.Note on the mechanical analysis of humus soils. J. Agric. Sci. (1922), 12, 287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
(2)Robinson, G. W. and McLean, W.Note on the occurrence of elementary carbon in soils. J. Agric. Sci. (1930), 20, 345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
(3)Robinson, G. W. and Jones, J. O.A method for determining the degree of humification of soil organic matter. J. Agric. Sci. (1925), 15, 26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
(4)Robinson, W.O.The determination of the organic matter in soils by means of H2O2. J. Agric. Res. (1927), 34, 339356.Google Scholar
(5)Best, R. J.A comparison of methods for determining the hydrogen-ion concentration of soils. J. Agric. Sci. (1931), 21, 337.Google Scholar