SULFUR-COMPOUNDS VOLATILIZED FROM SOILS AT DIFFERENT MOISTURE CONTENTS

Releases of volatile sulfur-containing compounds from a tidal marsh soil, an agricultural soil, and a forest soil at four moisture contents and under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions were measured. A dynamic, cryogenic collection procedure with subsequent separation and detection by glass-capillary gas chromatography was used. The largest emission fluxes, predominantly hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide, were from the tidal marsh soil samples dried to moisture contents typical of a well-drained aerobic soil. Smaller amounts of carbonyl sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethylsulfide, and dimethyldisulfide were also detected. The only significant S emissions from the agricultural soil were dimethylsulfide and carbon disulfide from water-saturated samples. No gaseous S compounds were detected from the forest soil. © 1979.