Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis to estimate the maximum temperature reached in burned soils from an Amazonian region.

Determining the maximum temperature reached in soil during burning is important when evaluating fire intensity. Forest conversion is an ongoing process in the Amazon ecosystem. It is of utmost importance to predict fire effects on soil properties and avoid damaging environmental systems. Spectroscopic methods combined with multivariate statistics may provide chemical and mineralogical information from soil. This study aims at predicting the maximum temperature reached in Oxisols from an Amazonian region in Brazil. Slash-and-burn and pasture samples collected after fire events and unburned forest soil samples submitted to heating (250-800 °C) were investigated. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) was used to acquire chemical data. The experimental procedure is rapid and requires minimal sample preparation and no hazardous chemical reagents. The EDXRF data, combined with partial least squares regression, were applied in controlled-heated samples from five different sites of forest, pasture, and slash-and-burn areas. Estimated temperatures for burned samples ranged from 317 to 609 °C. Considering the instrumental advantages and the achieved results, the use of EDXRF combined with multivariate analysis is a feasible alternative technology to evaluate fire effects in soil.

Monitoring of the process of waste landfill leachate diffusion in clay and sandy soil.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the interaction of landfill leachate of urban solid waste in clayey (CL) and sandy soils (SL) in order to determine physical and chemical parameters that can be used as indicators of soil contamination when there are faults in the landfill waterproofing. In the diffusion tests, compacted soil samples were placed in contact with leachate (methanogenic phase). The temporal analysis (200 days) considered the parameters pH, electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, nitrogen series, chemical oxygen demand (COD), solids and color for the leachate and pH, ΔpH, EC, total nitrogen (TN), chemical elements, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) for the soils. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to results. It was observed that the studied soils have potential to attenuate chemicals present in the leachate; this indicates the possibility of using them as base in landfills. Correlation analysis and PCA carried out to CL showed that in a process of CL monitoring the pH would be the key parameter to indicate contamination of this soil, due to the high correlation of this parameter with the others analyzed. For the SL, the parameters pH, alkalinity, apparent color, and COD (total and filtered) could be used as indicators of contamination. In both soils, monitoring of concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, SB, V, and CTC can be used to indicate possible faults in the waterproofing system of the landfill.

Caracterização da solução de solos do Bioma Cerrado sob pastagens / Characterization of the soil solution of brazilian Cerrado soils under pasture

O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a solução de solos e avaliar a especiação do Al em solos sob pastagens no Bioma Cerrado. Para a coleta das soluções dos solos utilizou-se tubo de PVC com a extremidade inferior acoplada a uma ponta porosa de cerâmica especial. Para quantificar as formas iônicas do alumínio, foram comparadas duas metodologias: método químico do “aluminon” e o método WHAM (modelo geoquímico de especiação). Os solos utilizados no presente estudo foram coletados às margens das rodovias GO – 060 e BR – 154, no trecho entre os municípios de Goiânia, GO e Barra do Garças, MT. Os resultados permitiram concluir que as espécies iônicas de alumínio predominantes variaram em função do tipo de solo, pH e concentração de NO3 - na solução do solo. Verificou-se também que as espécies iônicas mais abundantes foram: Al-M.O., Al3+ e Al(OH)4.

The aim of the present work was to characterize the soils solution and to examine Al's speciation in soilsunder pasture in Brazilian Cerrado region. The soils used in this study were collected in the spacebetween the towns of Goiânia, GO and Barra do Garças, MT, to the margins of GO ­ 060 and BR ­ 154highways. For the collection of soil solutions it was used a special equipment built with a PVC tubewhose inferior extremity was coupled to a porous tip of special ceramic. To quantify the aluminum ionicspecies, two methods were used: chemical method of " aluminon " and the method WHAM (geochemicalspeciation model). The results allowed to conclude that the predominant aluminum ionic species variedin function of soil type, pH and concentration of NO3- in the soil solution. More abundant Al's speciesin the soils were Al-M.O., Al3+ and Al(OH)4- , in this order.