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Chemical Analyses: Solids: Metals
Analysis of soil and rocks for metals necessitates extraction of
the metals into the soluble form by use of buffered salt solutions,
such as sodium or ammonium acetate, or mixtures of dilute acids
and chelating agents. Extraction of the metals is accomplished by
placing a small measured quantity of soil in a bottle with the extracting
agent and shaking the mixture for a certain number of minutes. Various
methods for extracting metals into solution are given in Page
et al. (1982). The amount of the various elements brought into
solution is then determined. The whole process is usually automated
so that a modern laboratory can handle hundreds of samples, each
day (Brady
and Weil, 1999). Analyses for metals, once they are in the soluble
form, are conducted using the same procedures as for aqueous metal
samples. For more information on the analytical methods used for
aqueous metal samples, click here.
Chemical
Analysis | Physical
Properties |
