Concentrations of organic and inorganic chlorine were estimated in samples
collected in forest soils in the southern part of Sweden, and changes were
observed after the addition of nitrogen in incubated samples. All of the in
vestigated samples contained both inorganic and organic chlorine, and the c
oncentration of organic chlorine was 2-4 times larger than that of inorgani
c chlorine. The results suggest that the amount of organic chlorine in matu
re spruce forest soils with a moderate chloride deposition in the temperate
region is larger than the amount of inorganic chlorine. The results of the
nitrogen incubation indicate that addition of ammonium nitrate causes a ne
t decrease in the concentration of organic chlorine and a net increase in c
hloride concentration. The observed change appears to mainly be a result of
a dechlorination of the organic matter present in the water leachable frac
tion. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.