What Is a Soil Colloid

Soil colloids are the finer size fractions of the soil (clay and organic matter), being also considered as the most chemically active portion of the soil because of their large surface area and the chemical structure of the materials involved.

What are soil colloids and why are they important?

Soil colloids are the most active constituent of the soil and it determine the physical and chemical properties of the soil. They are important because their surfaces attract soil nutrients dissolved in soil, water as positively charged mineral ions, or cations.

How do you identify colloids in soil?

A colloid is defined and described as ”glue-like” organic or inorganic matter with too little particle size but large surface area per unit mass or volume [1]. Clays, metal oxides, and organic soil particles are described as soil colloids [1].