O teor de matéria orgânica do solo (MOS) é estimado pelo conteúdo de carbono orgânico do solo (COS) vezes um fator, decorrente do pressuposto de que 58% da MOS é formada por carbono. Amostras de solos apresentando grande variação no teor de COS foram avaliadas no laboratório. O COS foi determinado pelo método de Walkley-Black (WB) e a MOS pela perda de massa por ignição (PMI). A MOS foi positivamente correlacionada com o COS. A relação MOS/COS variou de 1,91 a 5,08. Este resultado mostra que a MOS brasileiros apresentam maior grau de oxidação. Embora a MOS e o COS tenham diminuído a relação MOS/COS aumentou com a profundidade do solo. Este resultado demonstrou que a MOS da subsuperfície contem mais oxigênio e menos carbono que a MOS da superfície do solo. A relação CTC/COS também aumentou com a profundidade, indicando um aumento nos grupos funcionais da MOS por unidade de carbono.

The quantity of soil organic matter (SOM) was estimated through the determination of soil organic carbon (SOC) times a factor, which assumes that 58% of the SOM was formed by carbon. A number of soil samples with wide range of SOC content collected in the state of Paraná, Brazil were evaluated in the laboratory. SOC was measured by Walkley-Black method and the total SOM by loss on ignition. The SOC was positively correlated with SOM. The SOM/SOC ratio varied from 1.91 to 5.08 for the soils. It shows that Brazilian SOM has greater oxidation degree. Although, the SOM and SOC decreased with soil depth the SOM/SOC ratio increased. It showed that SOM in the subsoil contained more oxygen but less carbon than the SOM in the upper soil surface. The CEC/SOC also increased with depth indicating that the functional groups of the SOM increased per unity of carbon.

O estudo foi conduzido com objetivo de reavaliar alguns aspectos da importância relativa da matéria orgânica na solubilidade do Mn em solos ácidos. Em condição de campo cobertura morta com resíduos de aveia preta, nabo forrageiro, napier, tremoço, leucena e folhas de café diminuíram a solubilidade de Mn quando comparada com o solo descoberto. A redução na solubilidade do Mn em solo coberto com resíduos vegetais foi relacionada com o teor de umidade do solo. Estudos de laboratório demonstraram que o aumento da temperatura de 25 para 100ºC aumentou a solubilidade do Mn com pouca alteração no teor de carbono do solo; de 150 a 200ºC aumentou ambas a solubilidade do Mn e a oxidação do carbono orgânico e acima de 300ºC diminuiu a solubilidade do Mn e completou a oxidação do carbono orgânico. A solubilidade do Al sempre aumentou com a elevação da temperatura. A matéria orgânica influenciou diretamente a solubilidade do Mn e do Al.

The objective of this study was to re-evaluate some aspects of the relative importance of organic matter on Mn solubility in acid soil conditions. Field study showed that black oats, oil seed radish, elephant grass, lupin, leucaena, and coffee leaves serving as mulch decreased Mn solubility as compared with bare soil. The decrease in Mn solubility with plant mulch was related to increase in soil moisture content. Laboratory study showed that increasing temperature from 25 to 100ºC increased Mn solubility and total soil organic carbon was little changed; from 150 to 200ºC increased both Mn solubility and organic carbon oxidation, and up to 300ºC decreased Mn solubility and stoped organic carbon oxidation . Aluminum solubility always increased with increasing temperature. Organic matter exerted a control in both Mn and Al solubilities in acid soils.

Toxicity and uptake of heavy metals of sewage sludge by beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were evaluated in green house experiments. Treatments consisted of 1,0 ; 2,0 and 5,0% (m/m) of dry sewage sludge, collected from Londrina (Bom Retiro and ETE-Sul) and Curitiba (ETE-Belém and RALF). Bean ( variety IAPAR 57) was sown three times at 0, 120 and 240 days after the treatments have been applied. Contents of Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, and Pb in bean tissues cultivated with 5,0% (m/m) of all sewage sludge were similar to the control and Ba contents were reduced by increasing the quantity of sewage sludge in the soil. The Zn content in tissue bean incresed from 86 mg kg-1 of control to 462 mg kg-1 by applying 5% (m/m) of sewage sludge in soil, but plant beans did not show toxicity symptons. The addition of 5% (m/m) of sewage sludge increased Mn content in plants, from 193 mg kg-1 of control to 1.960 mg kg-1, showing toxity in bean leaves when the contents were more than 500 mg kg-1. The addition of sewage sludges in soils increased only available Zn carbonate and Cu organic species.