Based on representative 105 samples, the median values of total soil elements of As, B, Cd, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Se and
Zn in
Northern Zhejiang are 9.3, 61.9, 0.19, 31.8, 32 200, 0.192, 485, 0.5, 31.5, 0.33 and 80.5 in ppm respectively; the median values of available contents of them are 0.036, 0.26, 0.114, 5.48, 120, 0.000 18, 123, 0.13, 5.54, 0.011 and 5.47 in ppm. Their median availabilities calculated by available to total contents are 0.37, 0.43, 59.82, 17.94, 0.35, 0.11, 26.20, 24.00, 17.06, 3.45 and 7.22 respectively.The median values of soil organic matter in hilly and mountainous areas, plains before mountains and river-net plains are 3.05,3.32 and 2.89 percent respectively, and median pH are 5.38, 6.36 and 6.95. It showed that the total and available contents of some elements in soils in different physiognomy units vary greatly: (1) total contents of Cd, Mo, and Se are higher in hilly and mountainous areas due to the stratum enriching in these elements; (2) the available contents and their availabilities of As, Cd, Fe, Pb, Se, and Zn are much higher in hilly and mountainous areas as soils are more acidic and have high content of organic matter; (3) total contents of heavy metals including Hg, Pb, and Zn are higher in plains before mountains due to lake and lagoon sediment environments which have the trend to contain abundant heavy metals. However, part of heavy metals in these areas probably comes from human activities as many middle to large cities are located in these areas. The median values of organic matter in perudic ferrisols, stagnic anthrosols, orthic anthrosols and orthic halosols are 2.81, 3.32, 1.58 and 0.84. Organic matter is enriched in stagnic anthrosols but poor in orthic anthrosols and orthic halosols. The median values of pH are 5.36, 6.55, 8.01 and 8.20 respectively. It is presented that soil types and their properties played an important role in element availability to control available contents: (1) red soil and stagnic anthrosols have higher availabilities of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Se and Zn as the soils are rich in organic matter and acidic. Comparatively, orthic anthrosols and orthic halosols are weak alkaline to alkaline and lower in organic matter. Therefore available contents of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn are much higher in perudic ferrisols and stagnic anthrosols than in orthic anthrosols and orthic halosols; (2) the available contents and availability of boron in orthic anthrosols and orthic halosols are higher than that in other soils mainly caused by pH; (3) the availability of Hg in stagnic anthrosols is very low because soil Hg in reduction environment caused by long-term irrigation may form un-soluble sulfide HgS. However, as Hg concentration in stagnic anthrosols is much high than that in other soils, available Hg is still higher than that in other soils. Statistical results presented that total soil concentrations of Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, Pb, and Se have positive relationship with that of available contents. Organic matter played an important role in the availabilities of Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, As, and Pb. Soil pH have evident influence as the solution of Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, As, Pb, and Se are increased in acidic soils.