THREE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON THE REACTIONS BETWEEN INORGANIC PHOSHATE AND SOIL

Phosphate was added to soil, incubated at a range of periods and of temperatures, and the rate of desorption was measured at several solution: soil ratios at 25°C. One sample was incubated at a high temperature for several days and the rate of desorption was measured at 5, 15, 25 and 38 °C. A regression approach was used to describe the results which were interpreted in terms of a model in which phosphate was present (a) in solution, (b) adsorbed in equilibrium with the solution, and (c) firmly held. When neither adsorption nor desorption occurred, the phosphate concentration in solution increased with temperature. This was interpreted as an effect of temperature on the position of the equilibrium between solution phosphate and adsorbed phosphate. The direction of the effect indicates that adsorption was exothermic. When either adsorption or desorption occurred the rate increased with temperature and to a similar extent. For both reactions, the change in heat content was small. Thus, while temperature affected the rate of interchange between adsorbed and firmly‐held forms it should not affect the position of the equilibrium between these forms.