Publication detail

Assessing the effects of grinding on soil's thermogravimetric records: implications for carbon, nitrogen, and soil structure analysis

KAMENÍKOVÁ, E. RAGAČOVÁ, L. DEMYAN, M. TOKARSKI, D. BRTNICKÝ, M. HOLÁTKO, J. KUČERÍK, J.

Original Title

Assessing the effects of grinding on soil's thermogravimetric records: implications for carbon, nitrogen, and soil structure analysis

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Soil structure is a key factor influencing its ecosystem functions. Previous research has shown a close correlation between mass losses obtained using thermogravimetry (TG) and soil properties such as the content of organic carbon and nitrogen, which has consequently enabled the determination of several relationships among obtained mass losses. The high degree of correlation has been explained, among other factors, as a result of the intact structure of the investigated soils. However, this hypothesis has never been experimentally tested. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of mild grinding, which primarily affects soil particles larger than 250 mu m, on soil's TG records to determine its impact on the analysis of carbon, nitrogen, and relationship between mass losses. Soil samples from the island of Santorini, contaminated by heavy metals and dust from traffic, were analyzed with and without grinding using TG. Grinding affected the TG records across the entire temperature range, with the most significant decrease observed below 200 degrees C, where moisture evaporates. A mild increase was observed in the temperature range, where soil organic matter degrades. The determination of soil carbon and nitrogen content was only slightly impacted, which was explained as a result of only a small impact of grinding on soil microaggregates and organo-clay complexes. Despite these minor changes, as revealed by autocorrelation analysis, grinding significantly affected the relationships between mass losses. We conclude that soil grinding in TG analysis can be recommended for basic soil parameter analysis or contaminated soils due to improved homogeneity. However, it may compromise advanced analyses due to shifts in correlations between mass losses corresponding to the relationships between particular soil components.

Keywords

Soil disruption; Thermogravimetry; Organic carbon; Nitrogen

Authors

KAMENÍKOVÁ, E.; RAGAČOVÁ, L.; DEMYAN, M.; TOKARSKI, D.; BRTNICKÝ, M.; HOLÁTKO, J.; KUČERÍK, J.

Released

22. 5. 2025

Publisher

SPRINGER

Location

DORDRECHT

ISBN

1588-2926

Periodical

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry

Number

may

State

Hungary

Pages from

1

Pages to

9

Pages count

9

URL

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10973-025-14313-6

BibTex

@article{BUT198043,
  author="Eliška {Kameníková} and Lucia {Ragačová} and Michael S. {Demyan} and David {Tokarski} and Martin {Brtnický} and Jiří {Holátko} and Jiří {Kučerík}",
  title="Assessing the effects of grinding on soil's thermogravimetric records: implications for carbon, nitrogen, and soil structure analysis",
  journal="Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry",
  year="2025",
  number="may",
  pages="9",
  doi="10.1007/s10973-025-14313-6",
  issn="1588-2926",
  url="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10973-025-14313-6"
}