Trace Metals in Soils: A Review of Methods for Monitoring Trace Metals in Soils

Soil contamination by metals is a major concern for the environment and human health. This is because of the increase in anthropogenic activities such as mining industries, foundries, smelters, coal-burning power plants, and agriculture. In addition, trace metal accumulation in soils is of concern in agricultural production due to the adverse effects on food safety, crop growth, environmental, and human health. This chapter gives an overview of the effect of and sources of trace metals in soils as well as a review on the application of single and sequential extraction procedures for trace metal fractionation in different environmental samples. In addition, this chapter discusses briefly the application of contamination indicators such as geoaccumulation, enrichment factors, contamination factors, risk assessment code individual contamination factors, and global contamination factors, used worldwide to access the extent of soil contamination by trace metals as results of anthropogenic activities.