Factors affecting the amount of phosphate extracted from soil by anion exchange resin

In resin-solution systems at equilibrium, solution concentration of phosphate was proportional to the square of the phosphorus sorbed, and inversely proportional to the weight of resin and the volume of solution. The rate of approach to equilibrium was decreased by: enclosing the resin in mesh bags, by increasing the volume of solution, and by decreasing the vigour of shaking. In resin-solution-soil systems, the concentration of phosphate in the solution was important in determining the amount of phosphate extracted from the soil. Consequently, phosphorus extracted increased as volume of water and weight of resin increased, and decreased when the resin was enclosed in mesh bags. Even after long periods of shaking, when the concentration of phosphate in solution had reached low values, appreciable phosphate remained on the soil in equilibrium with this solution phosphate. Equations suggested that, if the solution concentration could be reduced to zero, phosphate sorbed by the resin would be proportional to the phosphorus added to the soil. However, at finite levels of addition of resin, the proportion of added phosphate sorbed by the resin increased as the level of addition of phosphate increased.