Phosphate in Soils ─ Interaction With Micronutrients, Radionuclides and Heavy Metals

Soil scientists review recent research findings about the influence of phosphorus on trace elements, metals and metaloids, and radio nuclides in the soil. The topics include the influence of phosphates on copper and zinc retention processes in acid soils, phosphate-uranium interactions in soils, the multi-component modeling of phosphate and arsenic reactions and transport in soil and geological media, how adding phosphate affects the mobility and phyto-availability of heavy metals in soils, the influence of long-term soil application of sewage sludge rich in phosphorus on heavy metal bioavailability to plants, and the influence of common ions on the sorption and mobility of soil phosphorus. Annotation c2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

H. Magdi Selim

Professor of Soil Physics and Graduate Coordinator

A. George and Mildred L. Caldwell Endowed Professor of Soil Science

School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences

Research accomplishments have been in the areas of solute and water flow in unsaturated and saturated soils, water management of irrigation and drainage systems, spatial and temporal variability of soil physical properties, and chemical an physical processes governing the interactions and transport of solutes in the root zone. My recent research emphasizes the role of slow heavy metals release and processes governing mechanism of heavy metals in the vadose zone. I am the original developer of the two- site (kinetic-equilibrium) model for retention of dissolved chemicals in soils and natural materials and subsequent multi-step/multi-reaction kinetic models which have been successfully used for the description of heavy metals, radio-nuclides, explosive contaminants, phosphorus, and pesticides in soils and subsurface media. Other research interests include; best management practices BMPs) of applied chemicals to soil: runoff and subsurface water losses; and total maximum daily load (TMDL): implementation and monitoring of management approaches to identify sources of pollutants at the watershed scale.

Published extensively in national and international journals, bulletins and monographs. He has authored and edited numerous books published by CRC Press, Ann Arbor Press and the Soil Science Society of America. Major research accomplishments have been in the areas of water flow and reactive solutes in unsaturated and saturated soils, spatial and temporal variability of soils and chemical and physical processes governing the interactions and transport of solutes in the rootzone. Recent research interests include best management practices (BMPs) of applied chemicals to soil - runoff and subsurface water losses and total maximum daily load (TMDL) - implementation and monitoring of management approaches to identify sources of pollutants at the watershed scale. Professor Selim is the original developer of the two-site (kinetic- equilibrium) model for retention of dissolved chemicals in soils and natural materials and subsequent multi-step/multi-reaction kinetic models which have been successfully used for the description of heavy metals, radio-nuclides, explosive contaminants, phosphorus and pesticides in soils and subsurface media. Professor Selim’s recent research emphasizes the role of slow heavy metals release and the governing retention mechanisms in the vadose zone. Other research interests include multi-scale characterization of processes and parameters obtained from small soil cores, monoliths, or small field plots and reconstructing soil physical properties across fields and watersheds. Organized international workshops and symposia in Zurich, Switzerland, Vienna, Austria, Guelph, Canada and Uppsala, Sweden. At the national meetings of the Soil Science Society of America, he has coordinated numerous symposia and served as program chair in 2001 Dr. Selim also helped organize a "Conference on Environmental Issues in Louisiana" in 1995 which was the first multidisciplinary conference on the environment at the LSU Agricultural Center. He serves as the LSU AgCenter ACE group leader on the "Soil, Water and the Environment". In addition, Dr. Selim has received several competitive research grants from USDA-NRI, USDA-ARS, Army Corps of Engineers, NSF, NOAA and the LA Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ).