Adsorption, Desorption and Bioavailability of Tungstate in Mediterranean Soils

The adsorption and desorption process of the tungstate ion was studied in three soils characteristic of the Mediterranean area, with particularly reference to bioavailability pathways. In the three soils examined, the tungstate adsorption was described by a Langmuir-type equation, while the desorption process showed that not all the adsorbed tungstate was released, probably due to the formation of different bonds with the adsorbing soil surfaces. The pH was found to be the main soil property that regulates the adsorption/desorption: The maximum adsorption occurred in the soil with the acidic pH, and the maximum desorption in the most basic soil. In addition, the organic matter content played a fundamental role in the adsorption of tungstate by soils, being positively correlated with the maximum of adsorption. These results indicate that the lowest bioavailability should be expected in the acidic soil characterized by the highest adsorption capacity. This is confirmed by the trend of the maximum buffer capacity (MBC) of soils which is inversely related to bioavailability, and was the highest in the acidic soil and the lowest in the most basic soil. Our data could contribute in drafting environmental regulations for tungsten that are currently lacking for Mediterranean soils.