THE CONTENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF CADMIUM IN SOILS AS INFLUENCED BY THESOIL PROPERTIES

The total and soluble cadmium contents of 29 natural, uncultured, unpo lluted soils from the province of Salamanca (Spain) were determined. T he two forms of the metal were found to occur at concentrations over t he ranges 0.07-0.33 and 0.004-0.061 mug/g, respectively. The total Cd contents found were somewhat low relative to reported values for world wide soils in general and European soils in particular. No significant correlation was found between the total and soluble Cd contents or be tween the former and any chemical parameters of the soils. On the othe r hand, there was a highly significant correlation (P < 0.001) between soluble Cd and the pH, sum of bases and exchangeable Ca, as well as a significant correlation (P < 0.01) between soluble Cd and the cation exchange capacity, degree of saturation and exchangeable Mg content of the soils. Finally, there were virtually no similarities in the distr ibution patterns of Cd and the other soil parameters in a given soil p rofile.