The distribution of lithium in selected soils and surface waters of the southeastern U.S.A.

The distribution of Li in the environment is not well documented although its geochemistry is thought to influence human health and agriculture. This study examined the distribution of Li in the soils and surface waters of the southeastern U.S.A., contrasting the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions. Previous studies have been limited to total, and to a lesser extent exchangeable, soil Li, usually at a single soil depth. This study evaluated more carefully the distribution of Li between the soil solution, exchange, and solid phases, and its distribution within soil profiles. Total soil Li was found to correlate strongly with clay content, and ranged from 3.74 to 59.93 mg/kg. Exchangeable Li ranged from 0.1 to 21.8 μmol/kg soil and constituted an insignificant portion of the total exchangeable cations (<0.09%) and total Li present (<1.1%) in the soils studied. Water-soluble Li ranged from 0.08 to 4.62 μg/l. Dissolved Li in 22 surface waters within the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of Georgia and South Carolina was also determined and ranged from 0.26 to 4.16 μg/l. The soils and surface waters of the Coastal Plain region were found to be depleted in Li relative to the Piedmont region of the southeastern U.S.A.