JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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Potassium (K) fixation by phyllosilicates clay minerals is a very important process influencing the availability of K for plants. Information about K fixation is limited in Hamadan soils. The objectives of this research were to determine potassium fixation capacity (PFC) and potassium fixation index (PFI) of 10 surface soils of Hamadan province and the correlation of these parameters with soil charge characteristics. Potassium fixation capacity was obtained using six different levels of added K as KCl and three wetting and drying cycles. Also charge characteristics of soils were determined. Tetrahedral CEC of soils was determined after saturation of samples with LiCl and heating at 300 oC to reduce octahedral charge near zero. The results showed that tetrahedral and octahedral CEC ranged from 4.6 to 16.0 and 0.8 to 4.9 cmolckg-1 respectively. Mineral and organic portion CEC ranged from 6.1 to 20.9 and 0.97 to 9.7 cmolckg-1 respectively. The amount of PFC increased with increasing added K. Mean amount of PFC ranged from 58.2 to 175.03 mgkg-1. Potassium fixation index ranged from 0.23 to 0.67. The results of correlation studies indicated that PFI were significantly correlated with octahedral CEC, mineral and organic portion CEC, total CEC, exchangeable and nonexchangeable K. The results of this research showed that PFI very different in soils. So that this parameter should be consider in K soil testing.

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The petroleum refinery sludge is an important source of environmental pollution. Burning and burying of the sludge may have adverse effects on environment and human health. Thus, other mechanisms for decreasing the toxic effects of hydrocarbon substances in the sludge must be used. In this study, Isfahan refinery sludge was dewatered, air dried and mixed by 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% w/w ratio with two calcareous soils, viz., Mahmoud Abad (Typic Haplocalcids with clay texture) and Bagh Parandegan (Anthropic Torrifluvents with silty loam texture). Different mixtures of soil and sludge were farmed for 21 days and irrigated on a daily basis to field capacity. Then, 100 seeds of Tallfescue (Festuca arundinacea) and Agropyron were planted in polluted soils with 3 replicates in 3 kg pots for 5 months. Result showed that Tallfescue and Agropyron yields decreased in sludge contaminated treatments. In the 40% sludge treatment, Tallfescue decreased the total petroleum hydrocarbons content by 65 percent. The highest degradation for agropyron was in the 30% sludge treatment which showed about 55% reduction in total petroleum hydrocarbons. The 40% sludge treatment resulted in the minimum yields of root and shoot plants. The highest degradation of TPHs occurred in the Tallfescue rhizospher of 40% sludge. Maximum degradation of TPHs on the Agropyron rhizospher was in 30% sludge mixed with Bage parandegan soil, but maximum yield of plant was in 20% sludge. Our study shows that Tallfescue rhizospher is most effective for decreasing TPHs, and that the phytoremediation in soils with more clay can adsorb and fix the toxic components and then at higher levels of pollutions can let the plants grow.