Adsorption and migration of heavy metals in soil

Soil is a major reservoir for contaminants as it posseses an ability to bin d various chemicals. These chemicals can exist in various forms in soil and different forces keep them bound to soil particles. It is essential to stu dy these interactions because the toxicity of chemicals may strongly depend on the form in which they exist in the environment. Another thing is that soil variability and some environmental properties (e.g. climate factors) m ay change equilibrium found in soil and cause leaching of trace toxic eleme nts like heavy metals tightly bound to soil particles. Mathematical and computer modeling help us with understanding processes occ urring in soils. A number of models are being developed now which can quant itatively predict movements and sorption of heavy metals in soil with good accuracy. However, investigations for determining chemical properties of so il, heavy metal interactions, should continue because a lot of questions ab out this strongly heterogenic matrix is still nor answered.