Kinetics of Phosphorus Release from Vivianite, Hydroxyapatite, and Bone Char Influenced by Organic and Inorganic Compounds

• Main Authors: Elisabeth Schütze, Stella Gypser, Dirk Freese
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
• Series: Soil Systems
• Subjects: bone char; hydroxyapatite; vivianite; phosphorus release; citric acid
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/4/1/15

The availability of P is often insufficient and limited by accumulation in soils. This led to the necessity of solutions for the recovery as well as recycling of secondary P resources. Batch experiments were conducted with CaCl₂ and citric acid to characterize P release kinetics from vivianite, hydroxyapatite, and bone char. While the P release during the CaCl₂ treatment was so low that only vivianite and hydroxyapatite showed a slightly higher release with increasing CaCl₂ concentration, the increase of dissolved P was more pronounced for citric acid. The application of citric acid resulted in a 32,190-fold higher P release for bone char. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic data suggested higher instability of hydroxyapatite than for bone char. The kinetic data showed that bone char, especially at a lower particle size, had a higher long-term P release than hydroxyapatite or vivianite. The suitability of hydroxyapatite and bone char as a poorly soluble, but sustainable P source is better than that of vivianite. However, the efficiency as a P fertilizer is also dependent on present soil P mobilization processes. The results underline the importance of the accessibility of fertilized or naturally bound P for plant roots to benefit from the excretion of organic acids.