Inorganic Definitions

Inorganic - Soil
Canadian Drinking Water Glossary of Terms

Recommended Limits for Substances Related to Health
Recommended Limits for Substances Related to Aesthetic and Other Considerations Canadian Drinking Water Parameters

Cation Exchange Capacity (C.E.C.)

C.E.C. is the soils relative holding capacity for water, nutrients, and chemicals. It is also the total quantity of cations which a soil can absorb through exchange. Usually, it is expressed meq/100g.

Using Cation Exchange Capacity to Estimate Soil Texture

Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP):

Is used in the sequential determination of trace elements in solution. This, coupled with an Ultrasonic Nebulizer, enables Access Labs to achieve instrument detection limits in the low parts per billion levels.

Micronutrients

Nutrients a plant needs in only small or trace quantities. The essential micronutrients are boron, chloride, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc.

Interpretation of Micronutrient Levels in Soil

Nutrients

Any element taken in by a plant which is essential to growth and which is used by the plant for vital functions. These nutrients include phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, and sulphur.

Interpretation of Nutrient Levels in Soil

% Base Saturation

The percent saturation of each cation element represents the proportion of that element within a given soil system.

% Oil

Methylene Chloride extraction (package MCO) is mostly used for heavy crude oil spills or for oil spills where most of the volatile components have evaporated. The sample is dried and ground before analysis.

Implications of Oil Content on Reclamation

% Organic Matter

Organic matter is generally used to represent the organic constituents in the soil, including un-decayed plant and animal tissues, their partial decomposition products, and the soil biomass.

Physical Analysis

To determine the suitability of a material for a specific purpose such as reclamation, containment, land treatment and landscaping, a physical analysis is done on the sample. This includes texture and water retention characteristics.

Soil Classification System

Sample Preparation

Most soil samples require drying, grinding and sieving (2 millimeter) before being analyzed to ensure homogeneity and thus a representative sample.

Soil pH

A numerical designation of alkalinity or acidity in soil. Technically, it measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution or saturated paste. A pH of 7.0 indicates neutrality, values below 7 represents acidic solutions, and values above 7, indicate alkalinity.

Guidelines for Interpretation of Soil pH Values

Soil Salinity
Theoretical Gypsum Requirement

Back to Reference Library