Analytical Techniques For Analysis of Metals and Minerals in The Soil Samples

Soils are the reservoirs of major, trace, and micro-nutrient elements. Determination of total metal content is important not only for geochemical application, but also for agriculture and environmental protection of living organisms. Determination of the total metal content is of interest for investigation of their mobility through the layers of soil, bioavailability for plant uptake, and animal/human consumption. In this chapter analytical techniques for analysis of metals from the soil samples are discussed. Quantitative analysis of the soil samples with fast and effective instrumental techniques such as atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (F-AAS), graphite furnace or thermoelectric atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS, ET-AAS), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), neutron activation analysis (NAA), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) are described for the application in soil analysis. The pretreatment methods and basic procedures for separation of different elements, such as sequential and selective extraction, as well as novel extraction techniques have been highlighted. The different instrumental techniques, used for the characterization of metal ions, have been examined in terms of their limits, accuracy, reproducibility, and precision.