ABSTRACT
The reactions of trace elements and plant micronutrients in soil and their uptake and accumulation by plants affect the availability to animals and humans. The uptake of trace elements and plant micronutrients depends on the soluble equilibrium and exchangeability of an element and, therefore, its concentration in the soil solution. Adsorption mechanisms are important in determining the availability of the metal to plants. In addition to adsorption by soil organic matter, metal adsorption by reactive soil surfaces is important. Plant uptake of trace elements affects the concentration of the metal in plant tissues and can affect human and animal nutrition or phytotoxicity. The uptake of trace elements by plants involves several mechanisms. For uptake by plant roots, the trace element must move from the soil to the plant root. Complexation of trace elements is with the humified fraction in the soil that decomposes very slowly.
