Chelation
Cations of heavy metals, even
under optimal soil conditions of low pH and low organic matter, are often
bound to soil particles in significant amounts because of soil cation exchange
capacity. The binding affinity of cations also impedes cation movement
in vascular plants, particularly in the negatively charged cells of the
xylem. A general solution to this problem is chelation, which is generally
meant as the process of a cation binding to a compound which results in
a neutrally-charged complex that can move more freely through a variety
of substrates. Several chelators, both natural and synthetic, are known
to perform this very function in soil and in plants.
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