Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery
Published on: January 22, 2015
Factors affecting ammonium capture by some Victorian lignites
Robert Impraim1, Helen Suter1, Jeffrey A Baldock2
1School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Victorian lignites effectively retain nitrogen, with adsorption capacity increasing significantly with pH, particularly between pH 5 and 7. This pH-dependent adsorption, not biological processes, is key to nitrogen retention in lignites.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Lignites are widely used as soil amendments.
- Understanding their nutrient retention capacity is crucial for agricultural applications.
- Nitrogen (N) retention is a key factor influencing soil fertility and environmental impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the nitrogen (N) retention capacity of Victorian lignites.
- To investigate the influence of pH on N adsorption by lignites.
- To determine the role of biological immobilization versus adsorption in N retention.
Main Methods:
- Adsorption isotherms were used to quantify N adsorption.
- Stable isotope tracing with 15N was employed to track N fate.
- Experiments were conducted across a range of pH conditions.
Main Results:
- Nitrogen (N) adsorption capacity of lignites increased up to 3-fold with rising pH, notably between pH 5 and 7.
- Biological immobilization played a minor role in the overall N retention by lignites.
- pH-dependent adsorption was identified as the primary mechanism for N retention.
Conclusions:
- Victorian lignites exhibit significant pH-dependent nitrogen (N) adsorption.
- The findings highlight the importance of pH management for optimizing N retention in lignite-amended soils.
- Adsorption is the dominant process governing N retention in these lignites, rather than biological immobilization.
More Related Videos
08:05Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
Published on: October 7, 2020
10:29Calibrated Passive Sampling - Multi-plot Field Measurements of NH3 Emissions with a Combination of Dynamic Tube Method and Passive Samplers
Published on: March 21, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Preparation of Amines: Alkylation of Ammonia and Amines
Each alkylation step makes the nitrogen center more nucleophilic, which triggers successive alkylations until a quaternary ammonium salt is formed. Considering...
Basicity of Aliphatic Amines
To measure the basicity of amines, two conventions are generally used. The first defines Kb as the basicity constant for the deprotonation reaction of water by the amine, as presented in Figure 1. Conventionally, lower Kb indicates...
Qualitative Analysis
For instance, group IV...
Washing, Drying, and Ignition of Precipitates
Common Ion Effect