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The study was aimed at determining the content, distribution and mobility of barium and strontium in various forest podzol soils. Samples with a wide range of chemical and physical properties were collected from typical uncontaminated soils of south-western Poland. The total metal content in the analyzed soils was considered as the geochemical background thanks to the natural features of the study site. Sequential chemical extraction procedure were used to provide information on the mobility and bioavailability of the studied metals in the soil. Fractions of Ba and Sr were determined using the five-step procedure of Tessier et al. (1979). The results show that heavy metals were generally represented by the exchangeable fraction (F1 barium) and the residual fraction (F5 strontium) with the average values at 53 and 69%, respectively. The mobility of barium in all soil profiles was very high, ranging within 5254% and indicating a generally high availability and mobility. Relatively very low levels of the trace elements were found in the fraction bound to organic matter (F4: 38%). Very low levels of strontium were found also in the fraction bound to carbonates (F2: 23%). Humic-eluvial, illuvial and sideric horizons were enriched in the fractions of barium and strontium bound to iron and manganese oxides (F3).

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This study was conducted to investigate the chemical speciation of yttrium and scandium in selected types of soils and also determined the total content and profile distribution of those elements. The research was performed on soil samples from forest areas in Puszcza Borecka (Poland) known as a non-contaminated site. Soil samples were collected from natural brown, lessive and rusty soil profiles.The sequential extraction procedure was applied to separate fractions of scandium and yttrium according to the Tessier method. The range of total content of scandium and yttrium was respectively: 0.63-6.48 mg kg -1 and 2.25 to 27.93 mg kg -1 . Scandium and yttrium occurred predominantly in residual fraction (F5) in each genetic horizon. Also both elements occurred mainly in fraction bound to organic matter (F4). The mean percentage content of scandium measured in mobile fractions (∑F1-F2) reached about 3% (in Bbr, Bt horizons) to 14% (in Bv horizons) in relation to the total content of the element in the analysed soils. The percentage content of yttrium measured in mobile fractions reached about 4% (in A, Bv horizons) to 28% in Bt horizons in relation to the total content of the element in forest soils of Puszcza Borecka.