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0 2026040

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7523/j.ucas.2026.040

The Effect of Pretreatment Methods on Grain Size Analysis Results of Loess and Paleosols

  • ZHOU Lu ,
  • LI Yumei ,
  • ZHANG Yuxie ,
  • WU Jinxu ,
  • LIU Haoyu ,
  • Ma yuanbo ,
  • Wang haoren
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  • 1. State Key Laboratory of Earth System Numerical Modeling and Application, College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    2. Laboratory of Molecular Fossils of Testing Centers, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101400, China

Received date: 2026-04-13

  Revised date: 2026-08-24

  Online published: 2026-08-26

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Abstract

Different pretreatment methods may have a potential impact on the results of loess and palaeosol grain size analysis. Taking five samples from the S0-L1 section of the Luochuan profile as the subject of this study, four sets of comparative experiments were designed to systematically evaluate whether variations in the method and concentration of H2O2 addition, the amount of HCl used and reaction time, the solid-liquid separation method, and the ultrasonic dispersion method and duration affect the grain size analysis results. The study found that, for a 0.2 g loess-palaeosol sample, adding a sufficient amount of 10% H2O2 in a single step yielded better results than adding small amounts in multiple stages; appropriately increasing the amount of HCl and the reaction time can improve the accuracy of grain size analysis data; solid-liquid separation by centrifugation reduces the loss of fine-grain fractions more effectively than static sedimentation, with satisfactory results achieved after just 5 minutes of centrifugation; online ultrasonic dispersion for 5 minutes is the optimal choice, as excessive ultrasonication of palaeosols may cause agglomeration, leading to overestimated grain size values. Palaeosols are more sensitive to pretreatment methods than loess. It is recommended to weigh out approximately 0.2 g of the sample to be tested and place it in a 300 ml beaker. Add 50 ml of a 10 per cent H2O2 solution in a single batch and heat to react for 2 hours; increase the volume of the 10 per cent HCl solution to 50 ml and extend the reaction time to 2 hours; centrifuge at 4000 r/min for 5 minutes to separate the solid from the liquid; repeat the centrifugation twice, add 10 ml of a 10 per cent (NaPO3)6 dispersant, and then subject the sample to online ultrasonication for 5 minutes on a laser grain size analyser to complete the pre-treatment process. This study provides experimental evidence for improving the comparability of grain size data and reducing methodological errors in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.

Key words： grain size analysis; pretreatment methods; loess-paleosols

Cite this article

ZHOU Lu , LI Yumei , ZHANG Yuxie , WU Jinxu , LIU Haoyu , Ma yuanbo , Wang haoren . The Effect of Pretreatment Methods on Grain Size Analysis Results of Loess and Paleosols[J]. Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 0 : 2026040 . DOI: 10.7523/j.ucas.2026.040

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