. 1999. Influence of soil organic matter on sulfate retention in two Podzols in quebec, Canada. Can. J. Soil Sci. 79: 103-109. The role of soil organic matter (OM) on SO 4 retention was investigated by comparing OM content, SO 4 retention, and the distribution of Fe, Al and Si compounds in OM-poor (Grands-Jardins, PGJ) and OMrich (Hermine, HER) Podzols from Québec, Canada. At both sites, four pedons were sampled by horizon; soil pH in H 2 O, organic C, phosphate-extractable SO 4 and, sodium pyrophosphate, acid ammonium oxalate and dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) extractable Fe, Al and Si were measured for each mineral horizon. The mineralogy of the clay (< 2 µm) and fine silt (2-20 µm) fractions of selected horizons was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Weighted mean organic C and pyrophosphate extractable Fe and Al contents were significantly higher in the HER than in the PGJ sola, while the PGJ soils were richer in amorphous inorganic Al. No trends were observed for inorganic Fe compounds. Chemical dissolution and IR allowed the identification of short-range ordered aluminosilicates, probably allophane, in the OM-poor and slightly acidic to neutral PGJ soils. These materials were absent from the OM-rich and acidic HER soils. Phosphate extractions showed that the weighted mean native SO 4 content was five times higher in the PGJ than in the HER soil. Finally, native SO 4 was strongly related to inorganic Fe, Al and Si (associated with allophane) at PGJ but only to inorganic Fe at HER. These results indicate that OM indirectly affects SO 4 sorption through the influence organic substances exerts on the nature and distribution of pedogenic Fe, Al and Si compounds, such as allophane, in Podzolic profiles.