Enhanced dissolution of arsenic in anaerobic soils upon organic amendment application: acid detergent-soluble organic matter as a potential indicator

Application of organic amendments (OAMs) often enhances arsenic (As) dissolution in paddy soils. Therefore, understanding the properties of OAMs that determine the extent of As dissolution is essential for appropriate soil management. Since As dissolution increases with decrease in soil redox potential caused by microbial respiration, the decomposability of OAMs might be a critical factor controlling As dissolution in amended soils. We hypothesized that contents of acid detergent-soluble organic matter (ADSOM, mainly composed of non-fiber organic matter and hemicellulose) in OAMs can help estimate the potential of OAMs in accelerating As dissolution in soils with added OAMs. Therefore, two contrasting soil types, Andosol and Fluvisol, were mixed with 24 different OAMs and subjected to anaerobic incubation for 14 weeks. Changes in soil Eh and dissolved As contents were monitored throughout the incubation period, and As species in solid phases and ferrous iron (Fe(II)) contents in soils were measured after 2 and 6 weeks of incubation. The higher the ADSOM content in soils with OAMs, the higher the dissolved As contents in soils and the lower the Eh values. Dissolved As also positively correlated with the proportion of As(III) in solid phases and Fe(II) content after 2 and 6 weeks of incubation, indicating that decomposition of ADSOM led to reducing soil conditions, thereby promoting the reduction of As(V) and As-bearing Fe oxides and subsequent As dissolution. The results were consistent between the two types of soils, despite dissolved As content in the Andosol being two orders lower than that in Fluvisol. This is the first study to demonstrate that ADSOM can be a prominent indicator of the potential of OAMs, for promoting As dissolution, when applied to paddy soils.