Elemental composition and geochemical characteristics of iron-manganese nodules from nine main soils in China were studied by chemical and multivariate statistical analyses to better understand the reactions and functions of iron-manganese nodules in soils and sediment. Compared to the corresponding soils, Mn, Ba, Cd, Co and Pb had strong accumulation, Ni had moderate accumulation, while Ca, Cu, Fe, Na, P, Sr and Zn accumulated to a minor degree in the iron-manganese nodules. In contrast, Si, Al, K, Mg and Ti were reduced in the iron-manganese nodules. The contents of Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were positively and significantly correlated with that of MnO2 in the iron-manganese nodules, while the contents of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were positively and significantly correlated with that of Fe2O3 in soils. Based on a principle component analysis, the elements of iron-manganese nodules were divided into four groups: 1) Mn, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Li, Ni, Pb and Zn that were associated with Mn oxides, 2) Fe, Cr and P that were associated with Fe oxides, 3) Si, K, and Mg that were included in the elemental composition of phyllosilicate, and 4) Ca, Na, Al and Ti that existed in todorokite, birnessite, lithiophorite and phyllosilicate. It was suggested that accumulation, mineralization and specific adsorption were involved in the formation processes of soil iron-manganese nodules.
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