Optimization of the time required for determination of the total dissolved salts in soil

Abstract EN

The purpose of this paper is to determine the shorter time required for proper determination of the total dissolved salts in soil.

The usual test takes 3 to 4 days to measure the total dissolved salts in the sample.

Eighteen samples were gathered from different sites in Baghdad city.

The physical properties were determined experimentally.

The testing program was done by two stages ; the first stage included measurement of ordinary T.D.S (series A) while the other stages included measurement of the magnitude of total dissolved salts at different times.

It was found that after 24 hours of soaking the soil in distilled water, the total dissolved salts will reach about 95 % of the actual amount (after 3 days).

The usual procedure takes at lest three to four days which is very long time if there is no time or conductivity device.

Therefore, a proposed procedure is submitted to estimate the T.D.S.

after 24 hours which revealed very good agreement with the actual values.

The results of T.D.S.

measured after 24 hour give a suitable compatibility with those measured by the ordinary method after 3 days where the coefficient of determination R2 equals (0.918).

An expression was determined which can be used to estimate the T.D.S.

from values measured after 24 hours only.