Vanadium (V) is a naturally occurring trace element, but total concentrations in soils and sediments are also dependent on the parent material and might be influenced by anthropogenic activities (e.g., steel industry). Despite the fact that threshold values for V in soils and/or sediments exist in various European countries, in Belgium, V is not taken into account when the environmental quality of soils and sediments has to be evaluated, despite the existence of several (diffuse) sources for V. In the first part of the study, the occurrence of V alluvial soils in Belgium was compared with V concentrations in alluvial soils (floodplain soils) across Europe. By analysis of both the Belgian and European data, the relationship between physicochemical soil characteristics and total V concentrations was quantified and some areas polluted with V were detected. A regression equation, in which V concentrations in alluvial soils were expressed as a function of major element composition, was proposed for the Belgian and European data. Additionally, single extractions with CaCl2 (0.01？mol？L？1) and ammonium-EDTA (0.05？mol？L？1) were used to estimate short- and long-term mobility of V in the alluvial soils. 1. Introduction 1.1. Vanadium in Soils and Sediments Vanadium (V) naturally occurs as trace element in soils and sediments. The average concentration in soil is estimated to be around 150？μg？g？1 [1] and 90？μg？g？1 [2]. The concentration of V in soils and sediments also depends on the parent material and the occurrence of V-containing ore minerals in the subsoil [3]. Vanadium concentrations in igneous rocks are higher than in acidic and in siliceous rocks, whereas the V content of metamorphic and sedimentary rocks is intermediate between the content of basic and acidic igneous rocks [3]. In soils, V is mainly associated with Fe(hydr)oxides, clay minerals, and organic matter and it can also occur as discrete mineral phases such as carnotite (K2(UO2)2(VO4)2·3H2O) and vanadinite (Pb5(VO4)3Cl) [2, 4, 5]. As an element of group VB and with atomic number 23 in the periodic table, it can acquire several oxidation states (+III, +IV, +V) [2, 6]. Beside its natural occurrence in soils and sediments, several anthropogenic sources can cause an enrichment or even pollution of soils and sediments with V. The main anthropogenic sources of V are (1) the use of V as a catalyst in the metal-, cement-, electronics, and textile industry; (2) the production of certain metals such as iron and uranium, with V as a secondary product [2], vanadium concentrations up to 738？mg/kg [7] and
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