Positively charged dissolved metal ions (i.e. cations) are attracted to the negatively charged particles which can cause them to be removed from solution and retained in the soil. CEC is influenced by soil texture (higher in fine textured soil), OM content (higher in organic soil), and [[pH]] (lower in acidic soil). Soils with high CEC are able to retain a larger proportion of dissolved metals and other positively charged pollutants, while soils with low CEC will retain less. The CEC of a soil sample is the sum of the exchangeable cations in the sample and expressed in milliequivalents (meq) of positive charge per 100 grams (g) of soil. | Positively charged dissolved metal ions (i.e. cations) are attracted to the negatively charged particles which can cause them to be removed from solution and retained in the soil. CEC is influenced by soil texture (higher in fine textured soil), OM content (higher in organic soil), and [[pH]] (lower in acidic soil). Soils with high CEC are able to retain a larger proportion of dissolved metals and other positively charged pollutants, while soils with low CEC will retain less. The CEC of a soil sample is the sum of the exchangeable cations in the sample and expressed in milliequivalents (meq) of positive charge per 100 grams (g) of soil. |