ABSTRACT
Emphasis is placed on the importance of both solid and glacial geological patterns in delineating areas of trace element deficiency or excess. Trace element research in the Republic of Ireland has concentrated primarily on practical problems arising at farm level. This chapter outlines some of the work which has been carried out in relation to four trace elements important in human and animal nutrition viz. cobalt, molybdenum, selenium and iodine. The extent of morainic and other glacial deposits may be noted and these are relevant in interpreting soil trace element distribution. With the exception of those trace elements which can be easily accommodated into a calcium carbonate lattice the trace element content of limestones is primarily a function of the degree of impurity of the rock. Mention has been made previously of the possible association between selenium and organic matter in black shales. The foregoing indicates some approaches and strategies adopted in trace element studies in Ireland.
