On-Site Determination of Soil Organic Carbon Content: A Photocatalytic Approach

Karam Abu El Haija, Yi Wai Chiang and Rafael M. Santos ()
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Karam Abu El Haija: School of Engineering, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Yi Wai Chiang: School of Engineering, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Rafael M. Santos: School of Engineering, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada

Clean Technol., 2024, vol. 6, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: This investigation presents a new approach for evaluating soil organic carbon (SOC) content in farming soils using a photocatalytic chemical oxygen demand (PeCOD) analyzer combined with geographic information system (GIS) technology for spatial analysis. Soil samples were collected at various sites throughout Canada and were analyzed using sieve analysis, followed by further SOC evaluation using three distinct techniques: loss on ignition (LOI), Walkley-Black, and PeCOD. The PeCOD system, which relies on the photochemical oxidation of organic carbon, showed an exciting correlation between its evaluations and SOC content, making it a prompt and reliable method to evaluate SOC. In this investigation, finer materials such as clayey soils (soil fractions of (<50 µm)) demonstrated high SOC content compared to coarser ones (soil fractions of (>75 µm)) and decreased SOC content with increased soil depth, generally below the 30 cm mark. It should be noted that this investigation revealed that other variables, such as land management practices, precipitation, and atmospheric temperature, have drastic effects on the formation and residence time of SOC. GIS georeferencing еnablеd mapping of the SOC distribution and identification of hotspot areas with high SOC content. The results of this study have implications for sustainable farming, climate change mitigation, and soil health operations by providing farmers with schemes that amplify carbon sequestration while simultaneously improving soil health.

Keywords: soil organic carbon; chemical oxygen demand (COD); photocatalytic chemical oxygen demand (PeCOD) analyzer; geographic information system (GIS); soil texture; climate-smart agriculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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