Heavy Metals in Soils and Plants

Soil, one of the most important natural resources, is becoming degraded due to anthropogenic activities such as mining, agricultural activities, sewage sludge, fossil fuel combustion, metallurgical and chemical industries and electronics. Soil is a crucial component of rural and urban environments, and in both places land management is the key to soil quality. This series of technical notes examines the urban activities that cause soil degradation, and the management practices that protect the functions urban societies demand from soil. This technical note focuses on heavy metal soil contamination. Mining, manufacturing, and the use of synthetic products e.g. pesticides, paints, batteries, industrial waste, and land application of industrial or domestic sludge can result in heavy metal contamination of urban and agricultural soils. Heavy metals also occur naturally, but rarely at toxic levels.