Inductively coupled plasma atomic‐emission spectrometry (ICP‐AES) parameters were optimized for the interference free determination of several elements (Ca, Hg, Ma, K, Mn and Si) in soil solutions. These solutions were extracted fron layers of two soils at different distances from bands of superphosphate fertilizer. Ranges of elemental levels determined in soil solutions were as follows: Ca, 22–1600; Mg, 4–270; Ma, 20–130; K, 6–132; Mn, 0–30; Si, 8–175 μg/ml, respectively. The higher levels were in solutions taken from soil close to the fertilizer band. Iron and Al could not be determined because of insufficient analyte response in the presence of large Ca and Mg spectral effects. Recovery estimates for all analytes were not significantly different from 100% (P = 0.05). Limits of quantitation were acceptably low, except for Mn in soil solutions with less than 0.05 μg/ml. Mn Coefficients of variation were all less than 2%.