PEAT
- CAS No.
- Chemical Name:
- PEAT
- Synonyms
- PEAT
- CBNumber:
- CB7962774
- Molecular Formula:
- Molecular Weight:
- 0
- MDL Number:
- MOL File:
- Mol file
| Cosmetics Ingredients Functions | SKIN CONDITIONING |
|---|---|
| EWG's Food Scores | 1 |
PEAT Chemical Properties,Uses,Production
Definition
A brown or black material formed by the partial decomposition of plant remains in marshy ground, the first stage in the formation of coal. It is used for making charcoal and compost, and, when dried, can be burned as a fuel.
Agricultural Uses
Peat is a mass of dark-brown or black fibrous debris,
produced by partial disintegration of vegetation in wet
places. It varies from a light spongy to a dense brown
humified mass. When buried under pressure and heat, it
forms coal over a geological time period. Peat is used to
improve aeration and water retention of the soil. The raw
materials for peat fertilizers are highly decomposed
upland moor peat (black peat) or acidic low moor peat
(PH <7).
Acid peat is a decomposed plant material containing
54% carbon. It can develop in water bodies that are
calcium deficient. The carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio in
peat is about 40. Such peat has a high sorption capacity.
Depending on the kind of application, the crop being
grown, and the nutrient status of soil, several mixtures of
peat and mineral fertilizers are available. Land with a
high level of peat is called peat land; it is generally found
at the base of valleys. Similar mixtures of organic and
mineral fertilizers are available, based on composted
bark or lignite (which is a partial substitute for peat) and
other organic materials such as a dried slurry or spent
mushroom substrate.
The following minimum requirements of nutrient
content in peat are specified as 1 % nitrogen, 0.5%
phosphorus, 0.8% potassium and 15% organic
substance. The organic substance of composted bark is
highly stable against biological degradation, and
resembles peat. Threshold values for heavy metal
concentrations are also specified for peat mixtures.
Types of peat are distinguished according to the
degree of decomposition and transformation of the plant
debris. They are (a) fibrous peat (fibrist), (b) altered
peat (saprist), and (c) semi-fibrous peat (lenist). The
identified categories of peat, depending on the
environment, are (a) calcic peat (mesotrophic and
eutrophic), and (b) acid peat (oligotrophic).
When organic matter is low in peat, it results in
pseudo peat, parapeaty horizons and humiferous
pseudopeats. The unconsolidated soil material containing
non-decomposed organic matter is the peat mass.
