Quantification of deep soil carbon by a wet digestion technique
Podjanee Sangmanee A , Bernard Dell A , Richard J. Harper A C and David J. Henry B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
B School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: r.harper@murdoch.edu.au
Soil Research 55(1) 78-85 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR15297
Submitted: 14 October 2015 Accepted: 26 October 2016 Published: 30 November 2016
Abstract
Two wet digestion methods were evaluated using pure kaolinite as background for quantifying small concentrations of carbon (<0.05% total organic carbon (TOC)) in deep kaolinitic regolith in south-western Australia. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of the Walkley–Black method (0.015 and 0.050% TOC respectively) were approximately five times lower than those of the Heanes method (0.085 and 0.281% TOC respectively). Both methods showed excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99) using prepared standards (lignin, humic acid, cellulose and chitin mixed with kaolinite and their combinations), in the concentration range 0.008–1.000% TOC. However, the percentage carbon recovery values were underestimated for chitin. The Walkley–Black method (TOCWB, %) was evaluated with 94 calibration and 27 validation deep soil samples (1–35 m soil depth) and compared with a dry combustion (Elementar) technique (TOCactual, %). The predictive equation (TOCactual = 1.66TOCWB + 0.018) (R2 = 0.91) obtained from the calibration set agreed well with the benchmark dry combustion values (root mean square error = 0.017) and is recommended for quantification of deep soil carbon in other kaolinitic regoliths.
Additional keywords: carbon dynamics, Heanes method, Walkley–Black method.
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