ELECTROMIGRATION OF NITRATES IN SOIL

Migration of chemicals in soils to surface or ground water has become a serious threat in many agricultural regions, with nitrates affecting the broadest area due to intensive fertilization and nitrate solubili ty. This project evaluated electroreclamation utilizing subsurface hor izontal drainage tubing and parallel electrodes to concentrate and rem ove nitrates from soil. Nitrate concentration in saturated soil tended to increase from anode to cathode after the application of a small di rect-current electrical field as the nitrate solution moved toward the cathode. When soil moisture content dropped below the saturation leve l, the nitrate began to migrate toward the anode, Research is recommen ded to evaluate the effect of a broader range of electrical parameters and analyze the feasibility of commercial application.