-Beringite and steel shots were mixed with the upper 20 cm of the soil. One year after addition, the extractability in calcium nitrate (0.1 M) and the plant availability of soil-Cd and -Ni were investigated. The addition of beringite (5 % w/w) and steel shots ( 1 % w/w) led to a lower extractability of Cd and Ni. In the most contaminated plots, the extractability of Cd and Ni after 1 year had decreased, respectively, 54 % and 53 % for beringite and 41 % and 40 % for steel shots. The metal content in different organs of maize plants (shoots, sixth