Using short-lived nuclides of the U- and Th-series to probe the kinetics of colloid migration in forested soils

The recent chemical dynamics of a podzolic forest soil section (from the Strengbach watershed, France) was investigated using U- and Th-series nuclides. Analyses of (238U), (230Th), (226Ra), (232Th), (228Ra) and (228Th) activities in the soil particles, the seepage waters, and the mature leaves of the beech trees growing on this soil were performed by TIMS or gamma spectrometry. The simultaneous analysis of the different soil (sl) compartments allows to demonstrate that a preferential Th leaching over Ra must be assumed to explain the (226Ra/230Th), (228Ra/232Th) and (228Th/228Ra) disequilibria recorded in the soil particles. The overall Ra- and Th- transfer schemes are entirely consistent with the prevailing acido-complexolysis weathering mechanism in podzols. Using a continuous open-system leaching model, the (226Ra/230Th) and (228Ra/232Th) disequilibria measured in the different soil layers enable dating of the contemporary processes occurring in this soil. In this way, we have determined that a preferential Th-leaching from the shallow Ah horizon, due to a strong complexation with organic colloids, began fairly recently (18 years ago at most). The continual increase in pH recorded in precipitations over the last 20 years is assumed to be the cause of this enhanced organic complexation. A lower soil horizon (50–60 cm) is also affected by preferential Th leaching, though lasting over several centuries at least, with a much smaller leaching rate. The migration of Th isotopes through this soil section might hence be used as a tracer for the organic colloids migration and the induced radioactive disequilibria demonstrate to be useful for assessing the colloidal migration kinetics in a forested soil.Ra and Th isotopic ratios also appear to be valuable tracers of some mineral-water–plant interactions occurring in soil. The (228Ra/226Ra) ratio enables discrimination of the Ra flux originating from leaf degradation from that originating from mineral weathering in shallow −10 cm seepage soil waters. It appears that, at least in some cases, the Ra-isotopic ratio measured in forest-soil seepage waters may not be representative of the Ra-isotopic ratio released from mineral weathering, indicating that the different origins of the dissolved 226Ra and 228Ra must be taken into account.