The impact of acid rain on phosphorus leaching from a sandy loam calcareous soil of western Iran

Simulated acidic precipitation (1:1 equivalent basis H2SO4:HNO3) at pH values of 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 and 7.0 were conducted using column leaching to determine impacts of simulated acid rain on phosphorus (P) leaching from a calcareous sandy loam soil over a 40-day period. Soil columns were irrigated every day to make a total of 1,061 mm, equivalent to 3.5 years of rainfall (based on average annual rainfall). Leachates were collected and analyzed for anions and cations. There was significant nonlinear correlation between the amount of P leached and the simulated acid rain (R2 = 0.61). Losses of P from the pH 2.5 and 7.0 treatments were 1.23, and 1.32 mg kg−1, respectively. The results showed that the amount of P leached from pH 4 (1.46 mg kg−1) and 5 treatments (1.52 mg−1 kg−1) were significantly larger than other treatments. Linear equation adequately described leaching of P in different treatments. The slope (mg kg−1 day−1) in the linear equation was defined as the leaching rate and for the pH 2.5 was 0.0354, and 0.0382 and 0.0406 for pH 4.5 and 7.0, respectively. The geochemical code Visual MINTEQ was used to calculate saturation indices. Leaching of P in different treatments was controlled by rate-limited dissolution of hydroxyapatite, β-tricalcium phosphate and to some extent octacalcium phosphate. The results indicate that acid rain in calcareous sandy loam soils may pose a risk in terms of groundwater contamination with P.