SYNTHETIC ION-EXCHANGE RESINS - SOIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL-STUDIES

The use of synthetic ion-exchangers (commonly referred to as resins) t o study natural media has steadily increased. These materials allow ne w and different ways to solve problems that cannot be resolved through usual approaches. A lack of knowledge or limited experience, however, has led to apparent confusion concerning appropriate use of resins fo r soil and environmental studies. The objective of this paper was to p rovide basic information on ion-exchange resins, their physical and ch emical properties, and to review how resins have been used to expand o ur understanding of soils and other environmental media. A review of t he literature is presented as an aid to better understanding, and to p rovide additional sources for details concerning resin applications. A classification scheme for resin systems is presented, with the intent that it will assist in the development of more uniformity and compara bility in the use of resins for soil and environmental studies. Applic ations of various systems and their limitations are discussed, includi ng a system developed to provide universal adsorption of ions and bioa vailability indexes from tests run either in the laboratory or in situ .