The chemical composition of soil solutions extracted from top soils in the Oxford area

Although the soil solution lies at the centre of many of the processes which occur in soils, little information is available on the chemical composition of the soil solutions of field soils, or on the temporal and spatial variability of such solutions. The suitability of an immiscible fluid centrifugation method for obtaining samples of the soil solution was evaluated. The method was found to be substantially free from interferences and well suited to routine use. It was adapted for use with soils of low bulk density. Yields of soil solution from soils at or near field capacity ranged from 20 to 50% of the total water present. However little or no soil solution could be extracted from dry soils. Displaced solutions were analysed for about 20 solutes principally by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. Typical solute concentrations in soil solutons from six neutral and calcareous soil series in the Oxford area were in the range 10 -2.4 to 10 -3.4 M for Na, K, Ca, S, Cl, N0 3 , alkalinity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC); 10 -3.4 to 10 -4.4 M for Mg, Si and P and -5.3 3 M for B, Li r Y, Ba, Mn, Cu, Fe, V, Zn, Al, Pb f Ni, Cd, Co, Sr and Mo. Short-range (5-10 m) variability was significantly less, and between-soil series variability significantly more, than the variability found between grass fields on the same soil series for most solutes. The main exception to this was N0 3 which exhibited a large between-field variability. In general, soil solutions from arable soils were more dilute than those from nearby pasture soils. Solutions from poorly drained sites on a heavy clay soil were more concentrated than those from freely draining sites on the same soil series. A year-long sampling programme showed that with the exception of P and alkalinity the concentrations of solutes in the soil solution changed significantly with time. The temporal range in the concentrations of solutes was found to increase in the order Si-Pandlt;alkalinity-Feandlt;Naandlt;Ca-Sr-Mg-Cuandlt;S-DOCandlt;K-Znandlt;Cl-pHandlt;Mn.