Metal ion speciation - soils and sediments (a review)
- Ore Geology Reviews, 1(1), p.83-146, 1986 .
In geochemical prospecting, selected geographical regions are systematically sampled and chemical analyses are used to identify "anomalies" (i.e. regions where rock, soil or sediment composition varies markedly from expected background values). The analytical technique adopted should optimize contrast, since large anomaly contrasts enhance the chance of identifying a significant geochemical pattern of behaviour. In many situations, this analytical aim may be achieved by using selective extraction procedures, but as the underlying principles associated with this approach are often only partially understood, a review was deemed timely.