Efecto de la Migración del Ión Ba²⁺ en la Extracción de un Catión Mayor (K⁺) Presente Naturalmente en un Suelo de Origen Volcánico

Cations present in the soil solution interact with soil charged surfaces by electrostatic forces. An applied electric field promotes principally, the migration of ions of the soil solution, whose interactions with charged surfaces are not so strong. If, by means of an applied electric field to the soil, the transport of a higher valence ion such as Ba²⁺is promoted, it would be expected that cations of lower valence should be desorbed from the soil exchange sites. The main goal of the present work was to study the effect, not only of the applied electric field, but the Ba²⁺ion migration, in the extraction of a major cation (K⁺), naturally founded in a volcanic soil. Experimentally, it was found that Ba²⁺migration through the soil, increased in an important way the amount of K⁺ions which are mobilized by effects of the applied electric field.