Phosphate fertilizer enhancing soil erosion: effects and mechanisms in a variably charged soil

J Soils Sediments

Song Li

Purpose The extensive application of phosphate fertilizers could produce a series of environmental problems by adsorbing on the surface of soil particle and migrating into water during soil erosion. Therefore, this study is to explore the effects of phosphate on soil aggregate stability and soil erosion and to analyze the mechanisms of phosphate enhancing soil erosion from the scope of soil charge density, electric field, and particle interaction. Materials and methods A variable charged soil (0–20 cm) was pre-treated firstly by KCl, K2HPO4, and KH2PO4, respectively. Under the conditions of KCl, K2HPO4, and KH2PO4 solutions with concentrations of 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mol L−1 , (1) the amounts of soil particle transport and erosion intensities were measured using rainfall simulation with electrolyte solutions instead of rainwater; (2) the aggregate stabilities were measured by weighing the particles and micro-aggregates of