Resumen de Competitive Sorption between Oxalate and Phosphate in Soil: An Environmental Chemistry Laboratory Using Ion Chromatography
A laboratory experiment was developed to introduce students to an important chemical phenomenon, anion sorption and desorption in the soil. In this lab exercise, competitive sorption between oxalate and phosphate was evaluated on aluminum oxide and a soil from a temperate region. Testings were done at two pH levels using a batch equilibrium technique. Ion chromatography was used for simultaneous measurement of oxalate and phosphate in water samples collected from the experiment. The results from this experiment clearly illustrated that oxalate exudation by the roots of certain plants may help them obtain phosphorus in phosphorus-deficient soils. Students gained hands-on experience in ion chromatography and knowledge about important chemical factors affecting the behavior of anions in the soil environment and their potential effects on plants. This lab exercise would be appropriate for use in undergraduate or master-degree courses in chemistry, environmental chemistry, and instrumental analysis.
