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Abstract
Various extraction techniques are believed to liberate elements bound to specific soil fractions. This study compares the extractability of copper, lead and arsenic from soils and attempts to relate any differences in behaviour to possible mechanisms of adsorption. Results from a heavily polluted area of the U.K. indicate a marked difference in the behaviour of arsenic compared to copper and lead. This is attributed to the non‐metallic nature of arsenic and its consequent anionic character. The availability of arsenic appears to be controlled by an anionic buffer system involving the hydrated mixed metal oxide phase of soils.