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Nonionic organic sorbates in aqueous solutions are mainly absorbed by the organic phase of sediments and soils. The movement of such organic chemicals in soils can be predicted if reliable sorption estimates can be obtained. A method for estimating accruate partition coefficients is therefore presented. The method is applicable to nonionic chemicals and incorporates the properties of sorbents and sorbates.

The uptake of phenol by soil minerals geothite, kaolinite and montmorillonite and by organic substances lignin, chitin, cellulose, collagen and activated carbon was investigated. The results showed that the biopolymers sorbed 2-45 times more phenol than the minerals. The energetics of the reactions involved, the sorption coefficients as well as the effects of polarity on sorption reactions are presented.

When the addition of nitrogen (N) fertilizer leads to increased crop biomass, it also augments carbon (C) inputs to the soil and, hence, often increases soil organic matter. Consequently, the [...]