Page 3: Research news on soil chemistry

Soil chemistry is the scientific study of the chemical composition, reactions, and processes occurring in soils, with emphasis on the solid phase (minerals and organic matter), soil solution, and exchange sites at particle surfaces. It examines speciation, sorption–desorption, precipitation–dissolution, redox transformations, and complexation of nutrients, contaminants, and trace elements. Central topics include cation exchange capacity, pH buffering, carbon and nitrogen cycling, and interactions among clay minerals, soil organic matter, and metal ions. Soil chemistry underpins models of nutrient availability, contaminant mobility, and biogeochemical cycling, and provides a mechanistic basis for agronomy, environmental remediation, and ecosystem functioning.