A brief discussion on the effect of temperature on the reaction of inorganic ions with soil

SUMMARY Published reports on the effect of temperature on the sorption of ions by soil, or soil constituents, are in conflict with regard to the direction of the effect and its interpretation. It is argued that, in many cases, increased sorption with increased temperature is due to an increased rate of the reaction that follows adsorption. The effects of temperature on the adsorption reaction itself are complex because of separate effects on the ions in solution, on the charge on the surface, and on the affinity of the ions for the surface. On balance, adsorption of anions should decrease with increasing temperature, and adsorption of cations should increase. However, decreased adsorption of cations is possible, particularly at high pH. With one exception, these conclusions are consistent for all published reports seen.