Apr 16 2021 Read 2 Times Soil chemistry aims to characterise the contents of soils to understand their ability to promote plant growth and to act as vectors for environmental contaminants. In recent years Soil analysis has been undertaken as a matter of routine when assessing construction sites for contamination, for agricultural soil management and improvement, and to study the effects of invasive plant and animal species on soil matter. The major component of soil is the inorganic mineral matter which comprises about 40-45% of its bulk; the remainder is air and water and a small fraction of soil organic matter (SOM). The organic component is a mixture of various living, dead, and decaying organic materials, along with a stable part known as humus .