Search

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance ([sup.1]H NMR) relaxometry has been used to analyze pore size distributions of wet porous samples. To make this method applicable to soil samples, knowledge about contribution from the soil solution to the total proton relaxation is needed. We extracted soil solutions from nine soil samples and determined transverse proton relaxation rates, the concentration of Fe, Mn, and total organic C (TOC), and the pH of the solutions. The effects of Fe, Mn, and TOC on the proton relaxation in the soil solution were compared with those of dissolved [Fe.sup.2+], [Fe.sup.3+], and [Mn.sup.2+] and of glucose, D-cellobiose, potassium hydrogen phthalate, sodium alginate, and agar in model solutions. Proton relaxation rates in the soil solutions were up to 20 times larger than in pure water, which was mainly due to dissolved Fe(III) and Mn(II) species. The relaxivities of Fe and Mn in soil solution were reduced to 40 and 70% compared with Fe(III) and Mn(II) in a model solution, respectively. Smaller relaxivities were primarily due to the formation of metal--organic complexes. We conclude that the proton relaxation in soil samples is generally accelerated by the soil solution, and its contribution must be considered to estimate pore sizes from relaxation times. By using the calculated relaxivities of Fe and Mn in soil solution, the contribution of the soil solution to the total proton relaxation can be estimated from the Fe and Mn concentration in the soil solution. Abbreviations: CPMG, Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill; DOM, dissolved organic matter; NICA, nonideal consistent competitive adsorption; NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance; TOC, total organic carbon.

1H NMR relaxometry is applied for the investigation of pore size distributions in geological substrates. The transfer to humous soil samples requires the knowledge of the interplay between soil organic matter, microorganisms and proton relaxation. The goal of this contribution is to give first insights in microbial effects in the 1H NMR relaxation time distribution in the course of hydration of humous soil samples. We observed the development of the transverse relaxation time distribution of the water protons after addition of water to air dried soil samples. Selected samples were treated with cellobiose to enhance microbial activity. Besides the relaxation time distribution, the respiratory activity and the total cell counts were determined as function of hydration time. Microbial respiratory activities were 2–15 times higher in the treated samples and total cell counts increased in all samples from 1×109 to 5×109 cells g−1 during hydration. The results of 1H NMR relaxometry showed tri-, bi- and mono-modal relaxation time distributions and shifts of peak relaxation times towards lower relaxation times of all investigated soil samples during hydration. Furthermore, we found lower relaxation times and merging of peaks in soil samples with higher microbial activity. Dissolution and hydration of cellobiose had no detectable effect on the relaxation time distributions during hydration. We attribute the observed shifts in relaxation time distributions to changes in pore size distribution and changes in spin relaxation mechanisms due to dissolution of organic and inorganic substances (e.g. Fe3+, Mn2+), swelling of soil organic matter (SOM), production and release of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and bacterial association within biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]