The adsorption and release of sulfur in mineral and organic soils of the Athabasca Oil Sands Region, Alberta, Canada.
Mineral soil and fibric peat from acid-sensitive western boreal catchments in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Alberta, Canada were evaluated for their ability to adsorb and release SO(4)(2-). Laboratory batch studies indicated that SO(4)(2-) adsorption in mineral soil from both the A and B horizons exhibits a limited response to elevated SO(4)(2-) concentrations, with the slope of initial mass isotherms <0.2 for all soils, likely due to low iron and aluminum oxide content. Although S retention is the dominant process in peat soils in the region, drought simulations in the lab using fibric peat collected from a poor fen exhibited as much as a five-fold increase in SO(4)(2-) concentration after drying and rewetting. Given the limited SO(4)(2-) adsorption capacity of mineral soils and the potential drought-induced S release from peatlands in this region where increased S deposition is expected, further investigation of acidification impacts is warranted.
Whitfield
C J
CJ
Environmental and Resource Studies Dep., Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada. cwhitfield@trentu.ca
Adkinson
A
A
Eimers
M C
MC
Watmough
S A
SA
D000327:Adsorption; D000416:Alberta; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010578:Petroleum; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry*
D008903:Minerals; D010578:Petroleum; D012987:Soil; D013455:Sulfur