Clay Fractions (clay + fraction)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Effect of earthworm activity (Aporrectodea giardi) on atrazine adsorption and biodegradation

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2006
T. Alekseeva
Summary We investigated the influence of earthworm (Aporrectodea giardi) activity on soil properties and on atrazine (AT) adsorption and biodegradation by comparing a coarse-textured smectite-free wetland soil (Brittany, France) with the earthworm casts derived from the top horizon of this soil. Casts are characterized by lower pH, are enriched in organic carbon (OC) and clay content, have a larger cation exchange capacity, and a greater exchangeable Ca content. The clay mineralogy of the soil studied and casts is characterized by a muscovite,kaolinite,chlorite association. In addition, the clay fraction of the soil contains lepidocrocite (,-FeOOH), which was not found in the casts. Atrazine adsorption isotherms were reasonably well described by the Freundlich equation and were all non-linear. The mean amounts of adsorbed AT for starting concentrations of 3,30 mg litre,1 ranged from 8 to 34%, being largest in earthworm casts. Soil AT adsorption capacity was well correlated with OC content. Non-decomposed organic matter present in the coarse size fractions and specific compounds present in earthworm casts (proteins, mono- and polysaccharides, polyphenols, sugars, lignin) and microbial and fungal biomass contribute to AT adsorption. Weak electrostatic (physical) sorption of AT on organic compounds and on mineral surfaces prevails. For casts, the formation of additional hydrophobic interactions between AT and SOM is proposed. We also studied AT biodegradation by the model bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP in the presence of soils or earthworm casts. An enhancement of the AT disappearance rate was observed in the presence of all the solid matrices tested compared with that obtained in an aqueous medium. The biodegradation rate was shown to be dependent not only on the OC content of the solid matrix, but mainly on its composition and structure. [source]


Interaction of copper and zinc with allophane and organic matter in the B horizon of an Andosol

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2003
C. Latrille
Summary Andosols developed on basaltic material are naturally rich in metals. Organic matter and allophane, the key colloids of these soils, have a strong affinity for trace metals, but are intimately mixed so that speciation of trace metal is difficult to determine. We used three complementary approaches, namely physical fractionation, chemical extraction and potentiometric measurement, to distinguish them. Physical particle-size separations and chemical selective dissolution of allophanes and organic matter were combined to demonstrate relations between the occurrence of colloids and contents of Cu and Zn in an andic B horizon. About 22% of total soil Cu and 7% of total soil Zn were present in the < 5-,m fraction, associated with organic or amorphous mineral constituents. To support this association further, the affinity of soil colloids for Cu and Zn in a mimicked system was demonstrated. An Al-rich allophane was synthesized, and a portion of the organic matter was extracted from the clay fraction, and their reactivities towards Cu2+ or Zn2+ were studied by potentiometry. The two metallic cations displayed specific affinity towards allophane or soluble organic matter. Furthermore, the behaviour of copper and zinc in the ternary system, allophane + soluble organic matter + trace element, revealed a synergy in the surface complexation. The use of these three speciation approaches highlighted the linkage between metals and constituents, and showed how important the colloidal constituents are in the behaviour of Cu and Zn in Andosols. [source]


Predicting carbon content in illitic clay fractions from surface area, cation exchange capacity and dithionite-extractable iron

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2002
M. Kahle
Summary We used the specific surface area (SSA), the cation exchange capacity (CEC) and the content of dithionite-extractable iron (Fed) to predict the content of organic carbon in illitic clay fractions of topsoils from loess. We determined SSA (BET-N2 method) and CEC of clay fractions after removing organic C or reducing oxides or both. The CEC and the SSA of the carbon- and oxide-free clay fraction explained 56% and 54% of the variation in C content, respectively. The Fed content of the clay fractions was strongly and negatively related to the C content, and with the SSA of the carbon-free clay fraction it predicted C content almost completely (R2 = 0.96). The results indicate that the amount of cations adhering to the silicate clay minerals and the size of the silicate mineral surface area are important properties of the mineral phase for the storage potential of C. The reason for the negative relation between iron oxides and C content remains unclear. [source]


Surface podzolization in Cambisols under deciduous forest in the Belgian loess belt

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2000
V. Brahy
Summary Surface podzolization involves the migration of metal,humus complexes to a depth of a few centimetres. In acid soils derived from loess, this process has been diagnosed mainly by morphological observation. We investigated this process in a toposequence of Luvisols and Cambisols on loess using selective extraction and mineralogical data as well as characteristics of the leaf litter. The humus type (O and OAh horizons) is a moder in the three Luvisols and one of the Cambisols, whereas it is a fibrimor in the two other Cambisols. The contents in total alkaline and alkaline-earth cations range from 35 to 60 cmolc kg,1 in the fibrimor and from 40 to 90 cmolc kg,1 in the moder humus. In the two Cambisols with fibrimor smectite occurs in the clay fraction of the Ah horizon; Fe,humus complexes seem to have moved, but no more than 9 cm, from the Ah to the AB horizon beneath. Relative to the Ah horizon, the upper part of the AB has larger tetraborate-extractable Fe/Al ratio and optical density of the oxalate extract. Such features converge to diagnose surface podzolization in the Cambisols with fibrimor. However, they were not detected in the Cambisol and Luvisols with moder. In the two Cambisols with fibrimor, surface podzolization is consistent with (i) their smaller iron content, (ii) their more advanced weathering stage and (iii) their lower acid neutralizing capacity. [source]


The stress sensitivity of shaley sandstones

GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 2 2007
Colin MacBeth
ABSTRACT The link between the stress sensitivity of shaley sandstones and their porosity and clay content is investigated. This is achieved by firstly fitting a compliance-based stress-sensitivity law to laboratory measurements of ultrasonic velocity taken from four sets of reservoir sandstones, extracted from a variety of depositional settings. Correlations are then sought between the independent parameters of this law and the porosity or clay fraction of the rocks, which are then subsequently interpreted in terms of framework or pore-space-related microstructural clay models. The general conclusion drawn from the results is that both of the parameters defining the stress-sensitivity law (the asymptotic modulus and the stress-dependent excess compliance) clearly vary with porosity. However, only the asymptotic modulus shows a convincing trend with clay and there is little observed variation of the stress-dependent compliance with clay. There is therefore a resultant variation of stress sensitivity with clay, but it is controlled only by the asymptotic modulus. The analysis also concludes that all four data sets fall into a framework-related category of clay model. [source]


Soil restorative effects of mulching on aggregation and carbon sequestration in a Miamian soil in central Ohio

LAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2003
G. S. Saroa
Abstract Soils play a key role in the global carbon cycle, and can be a source or a sink of atmospheric carbon (C). Thus, the effect of land use and management on soil C dynamics needs to be quantified. This study was conducted to assess: (1) the role of aggregation in enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TSN) concentrations for different mulch rates, (2) the association of SOC and TSN with different particle size fractions, and (3) the temporal changes in the SOC concentration within aggregate and particle size fractions with duration of mulching. Two experiments were initiated, one each in 1989 and 1996, on a Crosby silt loam (Aeric Ochraqualf or Stagnic Luvisol) in central Ohio. Mulch treatments were 0, 8, and 16,Mg,ha,1,yr,1 without crop cultivation. Soil samples from 0,5,cm and 5,10,cm depths were obtained in November 2000; 4 and 11 years after initiating the experiments. Mulch rate significantly increased SOC and TSN concentrations in the 0,5,cm soil layer only. The variation in the SOC concentration attributed to the mulch rate was 41 per,cent after 4 years of mulching and 52 per,cent after 11 years of mulching. There were also differences in SOC and TSN concentrations among large aggregate size fractions, up to 2,mm size after 4 years and up to 0,5,mm after 11 years of mulching. There were also differences in SOC and TSN concentrations among particle size fractions. Variation in the SOC concentration in relation to particle size was attributed to clay by 45,51 per,cent, silt by 34,36 per,cent, and to sand fraction by 15,19 per,cent. Bulk of the TSN (62,67 per,cent) was associated with clay fraction and the rest was equally distributed between silt and sand fractions. The enrichment of SOC and TSN concentrations in the clay fraction increased with depth. The C:N ratio was not affected by the mulch rate, but differed significantly among particle size fractions; being in the order of sand >silt >clay. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Geochemistry, Petrography and Spectroscopy of Organic Matter of Clay-Associated Kerogen of Ypresian Series: Gafsa-Metlaoui Phosphatic Basin, Tunisia

RESOURCE GEOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
Mongi Felhi
Abstract This work presents geochemical characterization of isolated kerogen out of clay fraction using petrography studies, infrared absorption and solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, with N -alkane distributions of saturated hydrocarbon. Mineralogical study of clay mineral associations was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), on Ypresian phosphatic series from Gafsa-Metlaoui basin, Tunisia. The XRD data indicate that smectite, palygorskite and sepiolite are the prevalent clay minerals in the selected samples. In this clay mineral association, the N -alkane (m/z = 57) distribution indicates that the marine organic matter is plankton and bacterial in origin. The kerogens observed on transmitted light microscopy, however, appear to be totally amorphous organic matter, without any appearance of biological form. The orange gel-like amorphous organic matter with distinct edges and homogenous texture is consistent with a high degree of aliphaticity. This material has relatively intense CH2 and CH3 infrared bands in 13C NMR peaks. This aliphatic character is related to bacterial origin. Brown amorphous organic matter with diffuse edges has a lower aliphatic character than the previous kerogen, deduced from relatively low CH2 and CH3 infrared and 13C NMR band intensities. [source]


Comparison of loss on ignition and thermal analysis stepwise methods for determination of sedimentary organic matter

AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 1 2009
Gretel Frangipane
Abstract 1.Loss on ignition (LOI) is a widely used method to estimate organic matter (OM) in the sediment of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) of organic species provides information on thermal reactions, the amount and properties of clay structural water, organic species and carbonates. 2.The accuracy of LOI compared with that of TG-DTA was evaluated in 33 sediment samples from the Lagoon of Venice (Italy). 3.In all tests conducted with TG-DTA the mass loss of OM and the loss of clay structural water (LCSW) from oxidized samples were measured. The mass loss of OM at 350°C (TG-DTA 350 OM) and the total extraction of organic matter at 567°C (TEOM) calculated from the difference between natural state samples and oxidized samples highlight the presence of both thermally labile and thermally stable substances. 4.The grain size data of sediment samples from the Lagoon shows a variable distribution between slightly muddy sand and mud. Loss of clay structural water at 350°C (LCSW 350) and total extraction of clay structural water at 567°C (TECSW) both estimated by TG-DTA on oxidized samples, were found to correspond approximately to 6% and 10%, respectively of the clay fraction (<4 µm). This percentage may be used to correct LOI measurements of OM in sediments with high clay content. 5.LOI 350 (loss on ignition at 350°C) and LOI 550 (loss on ignition at 550°C) proved to be ,80% and ,200%, respectively, of total extraction of mass loss at 350°C (TG-DTA 350 tot) and at 567°C (TEML) estimated by TG-DTA on natural samples, meaning that the LOI 550 value represents a significant overestimate. The difference between the LOI 550 and TEML values indicates that the mass loss excess (MLE) may be accounted for by losses due to breakdown of carbonates. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Weathering and allophane neoformation in soils developed on volcanic ash in the Azores

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2007
M. Gérard
Summary On Faial and Pico islands (Azores), we studied two profiles on basaltic pyroclasts that contain buried horizons, and we focussed on petrography, micropedology and mineralogy. Emphasis was given to weathering of the lapilli and ashes, and the neoformation of allophane. A combination of optical studies, in situ chemical analyses, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy of clay fractions revealed that allophane is present both in the micromass of the groundmass, in alteromorphs after lapilli or pumice, and in clay coatings. Whereas most studies describe allophane as a colloidal fraction formed by the congruent and total dissolution of the ashes, this study shows evidence for the formation of allophane alteromorphs, due to leaching of Si and cations, with preservation of the original shapes of the tephra. The allophane alteromorphs often display optical characteristics that resemble those of palagonite. Increasing alteration is observed through three steps: (i) hydration of the glass associated with strong cation and Si leaching, (ii) allophane hypocoatings, and (iii) allophane alteromorphs with development of intragrain bridges. The chemical signature of the alteromorphs varies from a pure alumino-silicate at one extreme to an Fe(Ti) enriched alumino-silicate at the other. Between those two extremes, the colour grades from yellow to dark orange, with microzonations. An Al-rich allophane composition is associated with gibbsite in the EUR6-Pico profile, whereas at the base of the EUR5-Faial profile, Si-rich allophane is associated with halloysite. Some variations of the palaeo-environment are also suggested by strong iron segregation observed with various secondary phases (ferrihydrite, haematite, iddingsite). [source]


The role of mineral and organic components in phenanthrene and dibenzofuran sorption by soil

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2006
R. Celis
Summary Improved predictions of sorption of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in soil require a better knowledge of the relative contribution of inorganic and organic soil constituents to the sorption process. In this paper, sorption of a three-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (phenanthrene) and a three-ring heterocyclic,aromatic compound (dibenzofuran) by six agricultural soils, their clay-size fractions, and a series of single, binary, and ternary model sorbents was evaluated to elucidate the relative role of soil mineral and organic components in the retention of these two model HOCs. The sorption coefficients for phenanthrene and dibenzofuran on purified soil organic materials (Kd = 821,9080 litre kg,1) were two orders of magnitude greater than those measured on mineral model sorbents (Kd = 0,114 litre kg,1). This, along with the strong correlation between sorption and the organic C content of the soil clay fractions (r = 0.99, P < 0.01), indicated a primary role of soil organic matter in the retention of both compounds. However, weak relationships between phenanthrene and dibenzofuran sorption coefficients and the organic C content of the bulk soils and variability of Koc values among soils, clay fractions, and model sorbents (1340,21020 litre kg,1 C for phenanthrene and 1685,7620 litre kg,1 C for dibenzofuran) showed that sorption was not predictable exclusively from the organic C content of the materials. Organic matter heterogeneity and domain blockage arising from organic matter,clay interactions and associated pH shifts were identified as the most likely causes of the different organic C-normalized sorption capacities of the soils. A direct contribution from minerals to the sorption of phenanthrene and dibenzofuran by the soils studied was likely to be small. Our results suggested that suitable descriptors for the extent of organic matter,mineral interactions would help to improve current Koc -based sorption predictions and subsequently the assessment of risk associated with the presence of HOCs in soil. [source]


The concentrations of fatty acids in organo-mineral particle-size fractions of a Chernozem

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2004
G. Jandl
Summary Fatty acids, the most abundant class of soil lipids, indicate pedogenetic processes and soil management. However, their quantitative distribution in organo-mineral particle-size fractions is unknown. The concentrations of n -C10:0 to n -C34:0 fatty acids both in whole soil samples and in the organo-mineral particle-size fractions of the Ap horizon of a Chernozem were determined (i) to evaluate the effects of long-term fertilization and (ii) to investigate their influence on the aggregation of organo-mineral primary particles. Quantification by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) showed that long-term fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) and farmyard manure (FYM) led to larger concentrations (25.8 µg g,1) of fatty acids than in the unfertilized sample (22.0 µg g,1). For particle-size fractions of the unfertilized soil, the fatty acid concentrations increased from the coarse silt to the clay fractions (except for fine silt). Fertilization with NPK and FYM resulted in absolute enrichments of n -C21:0 to n -C34:0 fatty acids with a maximum at n -C28:0 in clay (×2.2), medium silt (×2.0), coarse silt (×1.8) and sand (×2.9) compared with the unfertilized treatment (the factors of enrichment are given in parentheses). New evidence for the aggregate stabilizing function of n -C21:0 to n -C34:0 fatty acids was shown by the characteristic pattern in size-fractionated, disaggregated and aggregated samples. Highly significant correlations of fatty acid concentrations with organic C concentrations and specific surface areas are interpreted as indicators of (i) trapping of fatty acids in organic matter macromolecules and (ii) direct bonding to mineral surfaces. This interpretation was supported by the thermal volatilization and determination of fatty acids by pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectrometry (Py-FIMS). [source]


Predicting carbon content in illitic clay fractions from surface area, cation exchange capacity and dithionite-extractable iron

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2002
M. Kahle
Summary We used the specific surface area (SSA), the cation exchange capacity (CEC) and the content of dithionite-extractable iron (Fed) to predict the content of organic carbon in illitic clay fractions of topsoils from loess. We determined SSA (BET-N2 method) and CEC of clay fractions after removing organic C or reducing oxides or both. The CEC and the SSA of the carbon- and oxide-free clay fraction explained 56% and 54% of the variation in C content, respectively. The Fed content of the clay fractions was strongly and negatively related to the C content, and with the SSA of the carbon-free clay fraction it predicted C content almost completely (R2 = 0.96). The results indicate that the amount of cations adhering to the silicate clay minerals and the size of the silicate mineral surface area are important properties of the mineral phase for the storage potential of C. The reason for the negative relation between iron oxides and C content remains unclear. [source]


Provenance and microprobe assays of phyllite-tempered ceramics from the uplands of central Arizona

GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2008
David R. Abbott
The ceramics in use across a broad upland zone of central Arizona during the early Classic period (ca. A.D. 1100,1300) were characterized by a lack of mineralogical variability; nearly all of the clay containers were tempered with one rock type, phyllite. Consequently, nearly all of the upland pottery is assigned to a single pottery type, Wingfield Plain. This compositional uniformity has frustrated ceramic provenance studies, and, as a result, little has been learned previously about the organization of ceramic production and exchange in the upland territory. There are, however, considerable and interpretable chemical differences in the phyllite-tempered wares, as shown with microanalyses of the temper fragments and pottery clay fractions with an electron microprobe. The chemical patterning is useful for investigating issues pertaining to the upland zone, including the organization of ceramic manufacture, community arrangements, and pottery transactions during a time of prevalent hostilities in central Arizona. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Determination of Total Organic Carbon Content and ,13C in Carbonate-Rich Detrital Sediments

GEOSTANDARDS & GEOANALYTICAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2007
Valier Galy
carbone organique; décarbonatation; solubilisation; sediment; carbonate The determination of total organic carbon content and composition in detrital sediments requires careful removal of their carbonate minerals. In detrital sediments containing large amounts of carbonates, including dolomite, this can only be achieved by liquid acid leaching that may solubilise a significant proportion of the organic carbon. For a set of detrital sediments from the Himalayan system and the Amazon River as well as five geological reference materials, we determined the proportion of organic carbon (Corg) solubilised during acid leaching. This proportion is significant for all analysed sediments and generally tends to increase with the organic carbon content. Compared to other types of sediments analysed, clay fractions extracted from river sediments and bed sediments with very low organic carbon content have high and low proportions of acid soluble Corg respectively. In Himalayan and Amazon river sediments, the proportion of Corg solubilised during acid leaching was relatively constant with average values of 14 and 19 % respectively. Thus, it is possible to correct the Corg content for the dissolved organic carbon content measured after decarbonation. Data presented here show that Corg dissolved during liquid acid leaching must be taken into account. After careful calibration, the method presented here should, therefore, be applied to any carbonate-rich detrital sediment. La détermination de la teneur totale en carbone organique et de sa composition dans des sédiments détritiques requiert leur décarbonatation préalable. l'élimination complète de carbonates tels que la dolomite ne peut être réalisée qu'au moyen d'une attaque avec un acide en phase liquide ce qui peut entrainer la solubilisation d'une partie du carbone organique. Pour un ensemble de sédiments détritiques provenant du système Himalayen et de l'Amazone ainsi que pour cinq matériaux géologiques de référence, nous avons déterminé la proportion de carbone organique (Corg) solubilisé lors de la décarbonatation. Celle-ci est significative pour l'ensemble des sédiments analysés et tend à augmenter avec la teneur en carbone organique. En comparaison avec les autres types de sédiments analysés, les fractions argileuses extraites de sédiments de rivière et les sédiments de fond très pauvres en Corg ont une proportion de Corg soluble dans l'acide respectivement élevée et faible. Dans les sédiments himalayens et amazoniens, la proportion de Corg solubilisé lors de la décarbonatation est plutôt constante avec des valeurs moyennes respectives de 14 et 19%. Nous pouvons donc calculer avec précision la teneur totale en carbone organique à partir de la teneur en Corg déterminée après décarbonatation. Nos données montrent que la solubilisation de Corg lors de la décarbonatation par un acide en solution est importante et doit être prise en compte lors de la détermination de la teneur en carbone organique. Moyennant une calibration minutieuse, la méthode que nous présentons devrait donc être utilisée pour l'analyse de sédiments détritiques riches en carbonates. [source]


Sequestration and turnover of plant- and microbially derived sugars in a temperate grassland soil during 7 years exposed to elevated atmospheric pCO2

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
MICHAEL BOCK
Abstract Temperate grasslands contribute about 20% to the global terrestrial carbon (C) budget with sugars contributing 10,50% to this soil C pool. Whether the observed increase of the atmospheric CO2 concentration (pCO2) leads to additional C sequestration into these ecosystems or enhanced mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) is still unclear. Therefore, the aim of the presented study was to investigate the impact of elevated atmospheric pCO2 on C sequestration and turnover of plant- (arabinose and xylose) and microbially derived (fucose, rhamnose, galactose, mannose) sugars in soil, representing a labile SOM pool. The study was carried out at the Swiss Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment near Zurich. For 7 years, Lolium perenne swards were exposed to ambient and elevated pCO2 (36 and 60 Pa, respectively). The additional CO2 in the FACE plots was depleted in 13C compared with ambient plots, so that ,new' (<7 years) C inputs could be determined by means of compound-specific stable isotope analysis (13C : 12C). Samples were fractionated into clay, silt, fine sand and coarse sand, which yielded relatively stable and labile SOM pools with different turnover rates. Total sugar sequestration into bulk soil after 7 years of exposure to elevated pCO2 was about 28% compared with the control plots. In both ambient and elevated plots, total sugar concentrations in particle size fractions increased in the order sandclay fractions newly produced sugars made up 106%, 63%, 60% and 45%, respectively, of the total sugars present after 7 years. Mean residence time (MRT) of the sugars were calculated according to two models revealing a few decades, mean values increasing in the order coarse sandclay fractions in the medium term (<7 years). MRT of labile (sugar) SOM under elevated pCO2 is in the same order of magnitude when compared with studies under ambient pCO2 though no direct comparison of elevated and ambient plots was possible. [source]


Residues of 14C-metsulfuron-methyl in Chinese paddy soils,

PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 10 2008
Haizhen Wang
Abstract BACKGROUND: Metsulfuron-methyl is widely used for controlling many annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in cereal crops. Nonetheless, increasing evidence has demonstrated that even extremely low levels of metsulfuron-methyl residues in soil can be toxic to subsequent crops or non-target organisms. The behavior of herbicides in soils is mostly related to their residual forms. The intent of the present study was to investigate the dynamics of extractable residues (ERs) and non-extractable residues (NERs) of 14C-metsulfuron-methyl in twelve Chinese paddy soils and their relationships to soil properties. RESULTS: ERs decreased gradually after application, whereas NERs increased rapidly during the initial 28 days, and gradually decreased thereafter. ERs and NERs were respectively 10.1,67.9% and 5.6,28.7% of applied radioactivity in soils at 224 days after application. ERs correlated positively with soil pH and silt fractions, and negatively with microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and clay fractions, but the opposite was observed for NERs. CONCLUSION: Both ERs and NERs may be present in the soil at the time of planting following rice crops, and the risk of phytotoxic effects needs to be considered. Soil pH, MBC and clay/silt fractions were the main factors in affecting the amounts of both ERs and NERs of metsulfuron-methyl in the tested soils. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source]