Application of new physical chemical methods in soil ecological investigations.

The article discusses methodological investigations for the improvement and unification of soil testing in combination with the application of complex physico-chemical methods. An analytical procedure involving different extractions was used in order to determine the total and mobile amount of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, etc.) by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in soil and its fine-dispersive fraction (< 0.005 mm). The average samples (effected upon by background pollution) of Calcari Epihypogleyic Luvisol, (Lvg-p-w-cc, FAO-Unesco, 1998) has been taken from the rotation field of the experimental station of the Lithuanian University of Agriculture Subsequently, a fine-dispersive fraction was separated by a principle of peptization in distilled water. The investigation results obtained have shown a substantial dependence on the extractor used and the amount of fine-dispersive fraction in soil as well. It was found that the greatest reliability of the mobile heavy metal form is by using 1N CH3 COONH4 extractor and an HCl+HF mixture extractor for their total amount. Additionally, for the first time in Lithuania, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) it has been applied for the interpretation of soil chemical composition.