Retention of copper by a calcareous soil and its textural fractions: influence of amendment with two agroindustrial residues

Metal availability in soils is strongly related with sorption processes and the possible association of the metal ions with a particular particle-size fraction. Therefore, studies of metal retention by a soil will be aided if retention by different size fractions is also studied. Sorption of copper on a calcareous soil and its textural fractions was studied in batch assays. The soil was amended over 3 years with two agroindustrial residues, a composted olive mill sludge and vinasse. Sorption of Cu on the calcareous soil was very large (110 mmol kg(-1)) and was enhanced by both amendments. Metal retention by the clay fraction of the unamended soil was less than that of the whole soil, but increased dramatically after amendment with olive mill sludge. This was caused by the larger calcite content in this fraction as well as the increase in organic matter content. The amount of Cu sorbed was very large in the silt fraction, again because of the carbonate content of this fraction (300-460 g kg(-1)). Copper sorption decreased dramatically after removal of carbonate. Copper retention tended to be enhanced by organic amendments. This was particularly evident in the silt fraction, as a consequence of the organic matter accumulation in this fraction. Copper sorption on the calcareous soil and its silt fractions (unamended and amended) was irreversible. By contrast, desorption was measurable from all the carbonate-free samples (both whole soil and textural fractions), although in all cases a large hysteresis was observed. We conclude that carbonate was the main component responsible for the lack of reversibility.