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Environmental Factors Influencing the Sorption of Atmospheric Ammonia by Soils¹

ABSTRACT

Under conditions of controlled temperature and atmospheric ammonia concentration, the sorption rate for atmospheric ammonia by six soils from New Jersey decreased only slightly over exposure periods up to 4 days and averaged 55 to 74 kg of NH₃-N/ha/year. The ammonia sorption rate for these soils increased rapidly with increasing ammonia concentration and moderately with increasing temperature. Calculated energies of activation suggest that sorbed ammonia is held by chemical bonds rather than by physical adsorption. Increasing the velocity of gas flow across the soil surface brings more ammonia into contact with the soil and thus enhances the sorption rate. Soils sorb significant amounts of ammonia from the atmosphere which under some environmental conditions may constitute a major mechanism in the transfer of nitrogen form the atmosphere to soils.

¹ Paper of the Journal Series, New Jersey Agr. Exp. Sta., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. Presented before Div. S-2, Soil Science Society of America, Stillwater, Okla., August 1966. This study was supported by Regional Project NE-39 Soil Nitrogen.

² Assistant Professor, Center for Ecological Research, Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia. The author acknowledges with appreciation the assistance of the late E. R. Purvis in formulating the direction of this study.

Received for publication June 3, 1968. Accepted for publication October 23, 1968.