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International Agrophysics
publisher:Institute of Agrophysics
Polish Academy of Sciences
Lublin, Poland
ISSN: 0236-8722


vol. 20, nr. 2 (2006)

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Selected physical and chemical properties for evaluating brown coals used for soil reclamation
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J. Kwiatkowska1, Z. Sokołowska2, A. Maciejewska1
1 Department of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, Warsaw University of Technology, Pl. Politechniki 1, 00-661 Warszawa, Poland
2 Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, P.O. Box 201, 20-290 Lublin, Poland

vol. 20 (2006), nr. 2, pp. 121-128
abstract In this study some selected physical and chemical measurable parameters were determined and discussed. These parameters can be used for screening brown coals with respect to their suitability for soil reclamation purposes. Structural parameters, such as total cumulative volume, specific surface area, average pore radius, pore size distribution and total porosity were evaluated as a tool for the final selection of the suitable brown coal materials for reclamation purposes. The investigations were carried out using samples of brown coal from the opencast in Livno (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and brown coal material (BC1) from the Konin (Poland) deposit. Samples were taken from different depths to evaluate the effect of depth on the studied properties. Based on results of S, C, N, ash, humic acids contents, it can be stated that the brown coal from Livno (BC4) was the worst material to be used as a soil conditioner and/or for soil reclamation purposes. Brown coal samples from Livno were characterized by a very high acidity, thus in the case of their application for reclamation of soil contaminated with heavy metals, they have to be mixed with lime. The specific and bulk density of brown coal from Konin were lower than for brown coals from Livno. The structural parameters can be recommended as a tool for final selection of suitable brown coal materials for soil reclamation.
keywords brown coals, physical and chemical properties, surface area, mercury porosimetry, structural parameters