Degraded Paddy Soils. I. Theoretical Analysis on the Sultide Formation and the Effect of Iron Hydroxide Upon Removal of Sulfide from Solution

The formation of sulfide from sulfate has been discussed from the thermodynamic principles. No mechanism of the reaction has been presented. From the stoichiometric and Nernst equations for the conversion of sulfate into sulfide, it was concluded that the formation of sulfide from sulfate can take place more readily if pH of a medium is low. The difficulty of this conversion increases with increasing pH. As pH of a medium increases, the degree of dissociation of H₂S into S= increases and this, in turn, renders the chance of precipitation of sulfide as FeS easier. Higher the pH of a soil or medium, greater is the S= concentration. The concentration of ferrous ion required to remove dissolved sulfide in a medium by forming insoluble FeS decreases with increasing pH. From the theory it was pointed out that an application of lime and iron rich foreign substances to a soil may be effective in causing the removal of dissolved sulfide from solution.