Abstract:
In this paper, downward movement and availability of copper in soils irrigated with CuSO4 algaecide treated water were examined using column leaching experiments. Two simulations considering 1 and 10 years irrigation period were conducted at copper application rate of about 18.7 kg CuSO4/ha/year. Effluent copper concentrations and vertical distribution of acid and DTPA-extractable copper in the soil columns were determined. Nearly 99% of the applied copper was retained in the soil with a C e/C 0 values on the order of 10-3. Retention profiles showed that copper was retained in the upper 2 to 3 cm of the soil. However, a significant fraction of the retained copper was detected in available form (DTPA-Cu) suggesting that plants toxicity could be a major limitation for the use of CuSO4 treatment in irrigation water. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
