Still the Gold Standard Resource on Trace Elements and Metals in Soils

This highly anticipated fourth edition of the bestselling Trace Elements in Soils and Plants reflects the explosion of research during the past decade regarding the presence and actions of trace elements in the soil-plant environment. The book provides information on the biogeochemistry of these elements and explores how they affect food quality.

Incorporating data from over 1500 new resources, this edition includes the most up-to-date information on the relationship of trace elements to topics such as:

• Soil natural/background contents
• Sorption/desorption processes
• Anthropogenic impact and soil phytoremediation
• Phytoavailability and functions in plants
• Contents of food plants

The book discusses the assessment of the natural/background content of trace elements in soil, bioindication of the chemical status of environmental compartments, soil remediation, and hyperaccumulation and phytoextraction of trace metals from the soil. The table of contents reflects the IUPAC¿s recommendation for numbering element groups, giving the new edition an updated organizational flow.

Trace Elements in Soils and Plants, Fourth Edition illustrates why trace elements¿ behavior in soil controls their transfer in the food chain, making this book an invaluable reference for agronomists, soil and plant scientists, nutritionists, and geochemists.

Chapter 1 The Biosphere
Chapter 2 The Anthroposphere
Introduction
Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Soil
Plants
Chapter 3 Soils and Soil Processes
Introduction
Weathering Processes
Pedogenic Processes
Chapter 4 Soil Constituents
Introduction
Trace Elements
Minerals
Organic Matter
Organisms in Soils
Chapter 5 Trace Elements in Plants
Introduction
Absorption
Translocation
Availability
Essentiality and Deficiency
Toxicity and Tolerance
Speciation
Interaction
Chapter 6 Elements of Group 1 (Previously Group Ia)
Introduction
Lithium
Rubidium
Cesium
Chapter 7 Elements of Group 2 (Previously Group IIa)
Beryllium
Strontium
Barium
Radium
Chapter 8 Elements of Group 3 (Previously Group IIIb)
Scandium
Yttrium
Lanthanides
Actinides
Chapter 9 Elements of Group 4 (Previously Group IVb)
Titanium
Zirconium
Hafnium
Chapter 10 Elements of Group 5 (Previously Group Vb)
Vanadium
Niobium
Tantalum
Chapter 11 Elements of Group 6 (Previously Group VIb)
Chromium
Molybdenum
Tungsten
Chapter 12 Elements of Group 7 (Previously Group VIIb)
Manganese
Technetium
Rhenium
Chapter 13 Elements of Group 8 (Previously Part of Group VIII)
Iron
Ruthenium
Osmium
Chapter 14 Elements of Group 9 (Previously Part of Group VIII)
Cobalt
Rhodium
Iridium
Chapter 15 Elements of Group 10 (Previously Part of Group VIII)
Nickel
Palladium
Platinum
Chapter 16 Elements of Group 11 (Previously Group Ib)
Copper
Silver
Gold
Chapter 17 Trace Elements of Group 12 (Previously of Group IIb)
Zinc
Cadmium
Mercury
Chapter 18 Elements of Group 13 (Previously Group IIIa)
Boron
Aluminum
Gallium
Indium
Thallium
Chapter 19 Elements of Group I4 (Previously Group IVa)
Silicon
Germanium
Tin
Lead
Chapter 20 Elements of Group 15 (Previously Group Va)
Arsenic
Antimony
Bismuth
Chapter 21 Elements of Group 16 (Previously Group VIa)
Selenium
Tellurium
Polonium
Chapter 22 Elements of Group 17 (Previously Group VIIa)
Fluorine
Chlorine
Bromine
Iodine

As a teaching resource in biogeochemistry I found it had a lot of potential, giving good entry points into the literature for undergraduate students who might be given essay topics on how a particular element behaves in the plant and soil environment, particularly those elements of a more exotic bent. It also provides a lot of contextual information about environmental, soils and plant concentrations and their sources, providing a good overview as to drivers of element availability such as pH, organic matter, interactions with other elements and mineral content. ... It is a welcome addition to my library and I will certainly be pointing students in its direction.
¿Andrew A. Meharg, in Experimental Agriculture, Oct 2011, Vol 47(4)