The residual sodium carbonate (RSC) index of irrigation water or soil water is used to indicate the alkalinity hazard for soil. The RSC index is used to find the suitability of the water for irrigation in clay soils which have a high cation exchange capacity. When dissolved sodium in comparison with dissolved calcium and magnesium is high in water, clay soil swells or undergoes dispersion which drastically reduces its infiltration capacity.
In the dispersed soil structure, the plant roots are unable to spread deeper into the soil due to lack of moisture. However, high RSC index water does not enhance the osmotic pressure to impede the off take of water by the plant roots unlike high salinity water. Clay soils irrigation with high RSC index water leads to fallow alkali soils formation.
RSC is expressed in meq/L units. RSC should not be higher than 1 and preferably less than +0.5 for considering the water use for irrigation. The formula for calculating RSC index is:
RSC index = [HCO3 + CO3] − [Ca + Mg]
RSC index = HCO3/61 + CO3/30 – Ca/20 – Mg/12 (in case the ionic concentrations are measured in mg/L or ppm as salts)
While calculating RSC index, the water quality present at the root zone of the crop should be considered which would take into account the leaching factor in the field. Calcium present in dissolved form is also influenced by the partial pressure of dissolved at the plants root zone in the field water.
Soda ash [Na2CO3] can be present in natural water from the weathering of basalt which is an igneous rock. Lime [Ca(OH)2] can be present in natural water when rain water comes in contact with calcined minerals such as ash produced from the burning of calcareous coal or lignite in boilers. Anthropogenic use of soda ash also finally adds to the RSC of the river water.
Where the river water and ground water are repeatedly used in the extensively irrigated river basins, the river water available in lower reaches is often rendered not useful in agriculture due to high RSC index or alkalinity.
Cette page est générée automatiquement et peut contenir des informations qui ne sont pas correctes, complètes, à jour ou pertinentes par rapport à votre recherche. Il en va de même pour toutes les autres pages de ce site. Veillez à vérifier les informations auprès des sources officielles de l'EPFL.
Alkali, or Alkaline, soils are clay soils with high pH (greater than 8.5), a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Often they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 metre depth. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico-chemical properties mainly to the dominating presence of sodium carbonate, which causes the soil to swell and difficult to clarify/settle. They derive their name from the alkali metal group of elements, to which sodium belongs, and which can induce basicity.
The environmental effects of irrigation relate to the changes in quantity and quality of soil and water as a result of irrigation and the subsequent effects on natural and social conditions in river basins and downstream of an irrigation scheme. The effects stem from the altered hydrological conditions caused by the installation and operation of the irrigation scheme. Amongst some of these problems is depletion of underground aquifers through overdrafting.
Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chalk or gypsum, which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbonates and sulfates. Hard drinking water may have moderate health benefits. It can pose critical problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to avoid costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling towers, and other equipment that handles water.
Séances de cours associées (8)
Together, we will continue our exploration of the theme of water by building a set of fountains that we will later attempt to integrate into a domestic project for the port of Basel. The focus will be
Together, we will continue our exploration of the theme of water by building a set of fountains that we will later attempt to integrate into a domestic project for the port of Basel. The focus will be
This course provides students with an overview over the basics of environmental chemistry. This includes the chemistry of natural systems, as well as the fate of anthropogenic chemicals in natural sys
Fournit un examen complet des concepts de chimie de l'environnement, y compris le carbonate/alcalinité, le redox, la spéciation métallique et la cinétique.
Explore la CE, l'alcalinité, la dureté et la chimie du carbonate dans la modélisation de la qualité de l'eau, en mettant l'accent sur les méthodes de mesure et les relations ioniques.
Geothermometrical characterisation of low-temperature, carbonate-evaporitic geothermal systems is usually hampered by the lack of appropriate mineral equilibria to successfully use most of the classical geothermometers and/or by the thermodynamic uncertain ...
The replacement of clinker with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) is the most interesting solution to reduce the CO2 emissions from cement production. The abundant availability of clays, which have a sufficient amount of kaolinite content in Thai ...
Successful colonization by invasive species depends on both the ability to disperse seeds to a site and an ability to establish once seeds have arrived. While seed and establishment limitation are known to jointly influence colonization, decomposing establ ...