Degradation of Water-absorbing Polymers Use as Soil Ameliorants PDF

Keywords

polymers, water retention, sandy soils

Abstract

The decomposition of gel-forming polymers used to enhance water retention in sandy soils have been studied. Starch and urea-based polymers are liable to microbial degradation in a short time, whereas polyvinyl alcohol and cross-linked polyacrylamides persist in a chemically unaltered state for longer periods. These observations have important practical implications because when decomposition occurs the gel-forming character is lost together with the ability to store moisture in drought-prone soils. Careful attention should be paid to environmental conditions in the selection of suitable polymers for specific purposes