Sodium sorption and desorption in riparian soils impacted by road salt application

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is regularly used as road salt in cold regions to improve road safety during icy conditions. Once these ions enter the environment, Na is stored in the soils, with high concentrations of it leading to soil structure deterioration, organic matter leaching, and nutrient displace...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Luana G.G. Camelo, Tim P. Duval
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Geoderma
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125002502
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849240483381903360
author Luana G.G. Camelo
Tim P. Duval
author_facet Luana G.G. Camelo
Tim P. Duval
author_sort Luana G.G. Camelo
collection DOAJ
description Sodium chloride (NaCl) is regularly used as road salt in cold regions to improve road safety during icy conditions. Once these ions enter the environment, Na is stored in the soils, with high concentrations of it leading to soil structure deterioration, organic matter leaching, and nutrient displacement. These impacts raise concerns about potential road salt effects in riparian soils, as these soils come into contact with direct runoff from urban areas and elevated Na levels in streams. Aiming to quantify the retention and release of Na in these ecosystems, this study evaluated Na sorption and desorption mechanisms of 18 different riparian soil types. The adsorption process followed a Langmuir isotherm within the tested concentration range (0–4800 mg Na/L) with deviation from linearity starting at ∼600 mg Na/L. The soils retained Na at the expense of other cations (Ca, Mg, and K), with maximum adsorption capacities ranging from 4000 to 13,700 mg Na/kg. Na build up in riparian soils is mostly driven by organic matter content, with clay and initial Na levels contributing to a lesser extent. Significant proportions of this adsorbed Na (>65 %) readily desorbed back into solution in the controlled experiments, illustrating the highly dynamic association of Na with soil components. These findings suggest that the first flushes following the road salt application season may mobilize previously retained Na in the field. The net effect of this behavior may be a recurring desorption and leaching of essential macronutrients from the soil.
format Article
id doaj-art-e7f0d328c07a47f0ba0e91fb7aa8d184
institution Kabale University
issn 1872-6259
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Geoderma
spelling doaj-art-e7f0d328c07a47f0ba0e91fb7aa8d1842025-08-20T04:00:34ZengElsevierGeoderma1872-62592025-08-0146011741210.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117412Sodium sorption and desorption in riparian soils impacted by road salt applicationLuana G.G. Camelo0Tim P. Duval1Corresponding author at: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo – Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.; Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, University of Toronto – Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, CanadaDepartment of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, University of Toronto – Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, CanadaSodium chloride (NaCl) is regularly used as road salt in cold regions to improve road safety during icy conditions. Once these ions enter the environment, Na is stored in the soils, with high concentrations of it leading to soil structure deterioration, organic matter leaching, and nutrient displacement. These impacts raise concerns about potential road salt effects in riparian soils, as these soils come into contact with direct runoff from urban areas and elevated Na levels in streams. Aiming to quantify the retention and release of Na in these ecosystems, this study evaluated Na sorption and desorption mechanisms of 18 different riparian soil types. The adsorption process followed a Langmuir isotherm within the tested concentration range (0–4800 mg Na/L) with deviation from linearity starting at ∼600 mg Na/L. The soils retained Na at the expense of other cations (Ca, Mg, and K), with maximum adsorption capacities ranging from 4000 to 13,700 mg Na/kg. Na build up in riparian soils is mostly driven by organic matter content, with clay and initial Na levels contributing to a lesser extent. Significant proportions of this adsorbed Na (>65 %) readily desorbed back into solution in the controlled experiments, illustrating the highly dynamic association of Na with soil components. These findings suggest that the first flushes following the road salt application season may mobilize previously retained Na in the field. The net effect of this behavior may be a recurring desorption and leaching of essential macronutrients from the soil.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125002502Road saltSodiumAdsorptionRiparian soilsLangmuirDeicing agent
spellingShingle Luana G.G. Camelo
Tim P. Duval
Sodium sorption and desorption in riparian soils impacted by road salt application
Geoderma
Road salt
Sodium
Adsorption
Riparian soils
Langmuir
Deicing agent
title Sodium sorption and desorption in riparian soils impacted by road salt application
title_full Sodium sorption and desorption in riparian soils impacted by road salt application
title_fullStr Sodium sorption and desorption in riparian soils impacted by road salt application
title_full_unstemmed Sodium sorption and desorption in riparian soils impacted by road salt application
title_short Sodium sorption and desorption in riparian soils impacted by road salt application
title_sort sodium sorption and desorption in riparian soils impacted by road salt application
topic Road salt
Sodium
Adsorption
Riparian soils
Langmuir
Deicing agent
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125002502
work_keys_str_mv AT luanaggcamelo sodiumsorptionanddesorptioninripariansoilsimpactedbyroadsaltapplication
AT timpduval sodiumsorptionanddesorptioninripariansoilsimpactedbyroadsaltapplication