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SOIL AND WATER CHEMISTRY

Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification To obtain formal documentation the optional exam(s) must be completed which will incur an additional fee of £30. Alternatively, a letter of completion may be requested.

Study soil and water chemistry - apply your knowledge in agriculture, health, and environmental management.

  • Learn about how soils develop.
  • Understand how soil chemistry and fertility affect crop growth.
  • Understand the effect of soil pollutants on health and the environment.
  • Start studying at any time - study by distance learning.

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Learn the chemistry of soils and water and applications in agriculture, health and environmental management. In this course, you'll learn about interactions between soil, water, the environment.

  • Learn about chemical reactions in soil.
  • Learn about different soil testing methods and soil classification.
  • Understand ways of improving soil fertility for crop production.
  • Understand the hydrological cycle and its effect on human health and agriculture.
  • Test your knowledge with a problem-based learning project/
  • Start at any time - study by distance learning.
  • Duration - 100 hours.
  • Support - you are supported in your studies by our expert tutors.

 

COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

There are 10 lessons in this course.

Lesson 1. Soil Chemistry: An Introduction

  • Introduction
  • Chemistry Revision (inc. Chemical Terms, Elements, Compounds, Bonds).
  • Soil Redox Reactions.
  • Biogeochemistry and Soil Structure Review.
  • Biogeochemical Cycles.
  • Mineralisation.
  • Immobilisation.
  • Ammonium Fixation.
  • The Urea Cycle.
  • Soil Absorption/Desorption.
  • Lesson Aims: Describe the dominant geochemical cycles on earth. Demonstrate an understanding of basic chemistry including atoms and their components, elements, compounds and chemical reactions.

Lesson 2. Soil Chemical Processes

  • Introduction: How Soils Develop.
  • Factors of Soil Formation in More Detail.
  • Weathering Processes of Soil Formation.
  • Soil Profile Description.
  • Soil Classification and Description.
  • Classification of British Soils.
  • Soil Types and Plant Growth.
  • Properties of Soils.
  • Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil.
  • Soil Characteristics and their Relationship to Plant Growth.
  • Lesson Aims: Explain the important chemical reactions occurring in soil and their consequences; differentiate between different soil fractions with respect to their nature, size and chemical activity.

Lesson 3. Soil-Chemical Testing

  • Introduction.
  • Common Soil Tests.
  • Other Soil Cations.
  • The CEC in Soils.
  • Lesson Aims: Describe different soil test methods and explain how the test results are used.

Lesson 4. Soil Chemistry – Applications in Agriculture

  • The Components of Soil Fertility.
  • Lesson Aims: Explore components of soil fertility. Describe soil chemistry/fertility factors affecting crop growth in different farming environments. Explain ways of improving soil fertility for crop production. Discuss the impact of chemically altering soil vs. cycling and other natural methods.

Lesson 5. Soil Chemistry – Applications in Environmental Management

  • Introduction.
  • Soil Pollutants.
  • Soil Remediation.
  • Lesson Aims: Describe inorganic and organic soil pollutants. Discuss effects on health and the environment. Discuss ways to remediate soils.

Lesson 6. Water Chemistry - Introduction

  • Water: Chemical and Physical Properties.
  • Hydrological Cycle.
  • Water Resources.
  • Water Footprint.
  • Drought and Impact.
  • Lesson Aims: Outline the components of the earth’s water cycle. Describe the main chemical properties of water. Explain the various ways in which water is classified.

Lesson 7. Water – Chemistry of Water Sources and Drinking Water

  • Water Sources And Their Chemical Composition.
  • Chemistry of Seawater.
  • Chemistry of Groundwater.
  • Chemistry of Surface Water.
  • Chemistry of Potable Drinking Water.
  • Lesson Aim: Explain the chemistry of different water sources, giving examples of different properties and reactions.

Lesson 8. Water – Chemical Testing

  • Introduction.
  • Water PH.
  • Electrical Conductivity.
  • Total Alkalinity.
  • Total Hardness.
  • Lesson Aim: Describe different water test methods and explain how the test results are used. 

Lesson 9. Water -- Applications in Agriculture and Human Health

Lesson 10. Water Chemistry -- Applications in Agriculture, Problem-Based Learning Project

HOW THE COURSE WORKS

  • You can start the course at any time.
  • It is studied by distance learning, so you can study in the comfort of your own home. But this doesn't mean you are all alone in your studies.  Our highly qualified and friendly tutors are there to help you every step of the way.  If you have any questions at all, they are always happy to help.
  • Each lesson includes set tasks, and is completed with an assignment which the student submits to their course tutor.  The tutor will mark the assignment and return this to the student with comments and suggestions for further reading.

 

The following is a short excerpt from the course re Cation Exchange Capacity.

CATION EXCHANGE CAPACITY (CEC) (me (meq)/100 g or cmol(+)/kg)

CEC is an indication of the number of exchange sites within a soil that may temporarily hold positively charged ions. It is generally determined by the amount and type of clay and the amount of organic matter.

You can liken the soil to a magnet – it attracts cations (positively charged ions) and repels anions (negatively charged ions). This knowledge allows people working with soils to understand the nutrients held in a soil and the soil nutrient requirement (in crop growing or pasture management for example). Crop nutrient applications can then be planned an applied according to soil type.

Testing for CEC
CEC and exchangeable cations for saline or alkaline soils are pre-treated for soluble salts and measured using the ammonium chloride pH 7.0 method.

CEC is a general indicator of soil storage capacity for available, positively charged plant nutrients such as Ca, Mg, K and NH4. It can also be determined by measuring residual silver in solution using atomic absorption spectrophotometry or ICP) after 4 hours shaking of the sample in 0.01mol silver-thiourea (AgTU)+.  Displaced (exchangeable) cations are also measured by AAS or ICP. Samples are pre-treated to remove salts by repeated washing in glycol-ethanol.

Silver-thiourea cation exchange and exchangeable cation determinations are rapid in comparison with other methods of measurement. Results are usually comparable. In some instances, the silver-thiourea method appears to overestimate exchangeable magnesium in some saline and alkaline soils and can overestimate exchangeable potassium in some mica-rich soils.

Exchangeable cation status in soils should be assessed not only in terms of the amounts of the particular cations present, but also their relative abundance in comparison with cation exchange capacity as well as other cations. In many instances, when CEC is very low and exchangeable cation concentrations are near to the limit of instrument detection, the relative proportions of cations become meaningless.

Manipulation of CEC and amounts or proportions of cations can involve complex chemistry and site considerations. Cation imbalances can lead to toxicity effects. Seek expert advice since inappropriate chemical manipulations can reduce soil fertility and create further cation imbalances that may be difficult to correct.

 

WHY STUDY WITH ACS

  • Quality - our courses are written and taught by experienced professionals.
  • Self Paced - you can start the course at any time and study at your own pace.
  • Flexible - fit your studies around your own busy lifestyle - choose from online or eLearning study options.

 

ANY QUESTIONS?

Our Science tutors are more than happy to help and advise you with any questions regarding the course - they are here to help you decide on the right course to suit your goals and aspirations. Please contact us if you have any questions at all.

Start your professional studies today - enrolling is simple, just go to the enrolment box at the top of this page, and select your payment plan and method of study. 

 

CONTACT US

Get in touch with our Science tutors now using our FREE COURSE COUNSELLING SERVICE.
By Email: info@acsedu.co.uk
By Phone: Phone (UK) : 01384 442752
Courses can be started anytime from anywhere in the world!



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