Articles | Volume 12, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-689-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-689-2026
Original research article
 | 
03 Jun 2026
Original research article |  | 03 Jun 2026

Operational POM increases are over-interpreted as SOM stabilization:quantifying untransformed straw and biochar residues via magnetic separation

Yuhan Xia, Sen Dou, Song Guan, and Dilimulati Yalihong

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Cited articles

Abakumov, E. and Eskov, A.: Organic Matter Structural Composition of Vascular Epiphytic Suspended Soils of South Vietnam, App. Sci., 13, 4473, https://doi.org/10.3390/app13074473, 2023. 
Angst, G., Mueller, K. E., Nierop, K. G. J., and Simpson, M. J.: Plant- or microbial-derived? A review on the molecular composition of stabilized soil organic matter, Soil Biol. Biochem., 156, 108189, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108189, 2021. 
Arumugam, T., Kinattinkara, S., Vellingiri, K., Arumugam, M., Rajamani, J., and Jayaseelan, A.: Assessment of agricultural soil quality in macro and micronutrient analysis of Kasargod, Kerala, India, using GIS techniques, J. Hazard. Mater. Advances, 19, 100846, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100846, 2025. 
Banach-Szott, M., Debska, B., and Rosa, E.: Effect of soil pollution with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the properties of humic acids, J. Soils Sediments, 14, 1169–1178, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0873-9, 2014. 
Baragaño, D., Alonso, J., Gallego, J. R., Lobo, M. C., and Gil-Díaz, M.: Magnetite nanoparticles for the remediation of soils co-contaminated with As and PAHs, Chem. Eng. J., 399, 125809, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.125809, 2020. 
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Short summary
Following organic amendment application, increases in particulate organic carbon (POC) are often overinterpreted as evidence of organic matter stabilization or new stable soil organic matter (SOM) formation. In fact, they may merely reflect persistent untransformed exogenous organic residues, especially pronounced in the early experimental phase. This overestimation decreases gradually with incubation time in the straw treatment, but remains stable under biochar amendment.
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