Electromigration of Nitrates in Soil
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 122, Issue 5
Abstract
Migration of chemicals in soils to surface or ground water has become a serious threat in many agricultural regions, with nitrates affecting the broadest area due to intensive fertilization and nitrate solubility. This project evaluated electroreclamation utilizing subsurface horizontal drainage tubing and parallel electrodes to concentrate and remove nitrates from soil. Nitrate concentration in saturated soil tended to increase from anode to cathode after the application of a small direct-current electrical field as the nitrate solution moved toward the cathode. When soil moisture content dropped below the saturation level, the nitrate began to migrate toward the anode. Research is recommended to evaluate the effect of a broader range of electrical parameters and analyze the feasibility of commercial application.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Acar, Y. B., Alshawabkeh, A. N., and Gale, R. J. (1992). “A review of fundamentals of removing contaminants from soils by electrokinetic soil processing.”Proc., Mediterranean Conf. on Envir. Geotech., Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
2.
Bruell, C. J., and Segall, B. A.(1992). “Electric osmosis removal of gasoline hydrocarbons and TCE from clay.”J. Environ. Engrg., 118(1), 68–83.
3.
Cairo, G. J. (1994). “Effects of electro-osmosis on removal of nitrates from soil,” MS thesis, Univ. of Arizona Library, Tucson, Ariz.
4.
El-Sawaby, M. S., and Vadyunin, A. V.(1977). “Effect of direct electric current on the effectiveness of leaching saline soils.”Agr. Res. Rev., 55(4), 21–28.
5.
Gibbs, H. J.(1966). “Research on electroreclamation of saline-alkali soils.”Trans. ASAE, 9(2), 164–169.
6.
Gray, D. H., and Mitchell, J. K.(1967). “Fundamental aspects of electro-osmosis in soils.”J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., ASCE, 93(6), 209–236.
7.
Larson, D. L., Slack, D. C., Cairo, G. J., Martin, E. C., and Dutt, G. R. (1994). “Electroosmotic removal of nitrates from soils.”Res. Rep. 104170, EPRI, Palo Alto, Calif.
8.
Probstein, R. F., and Hicks, R. E.(1993). “Removal of contaminants from soils by electric fields.”Sci., 260(5107), 498–503.
9.
Runnells, D. D., and Larson, J. L.(1986). “A laboratory study of electromigration as a possible field technique for removal of contaminants from ground water.”Ground Water Monitoring Rev., 6(3), 85–91.
10.
Somani, L. L. (1985). “Electromelioration of saline alkali soils—a review.”Anales de Edafolog'ia y Agrobilog'ia, Madrid, Spain, 44(5–8), 1009–1014.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 122 • Issue 5 • October 1996
Pages: 286 - 290
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Oct 1, 1996
Published in print: Oct 1996
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.