A comparative study related to the concentrations of trace elements especially those of environmental concern, occurring in regular and reclaimed soils on abandoned coal mines as well as on their respective wheat crops has been undertaken in the vicinity of Ptolemais-Amynteon, Greece. The aim was to assess the impact of land reclamation on the crops. The results of elemental analysis show that the concentration of As is 1.5 to 1.7 times higher in the regular soils than in the reclaimed ones, similarly Co is 2.4 to 2.6 times higher, Cr is 1.7 to 2.8 times higher, Ni is 1.9 to 3.1 times higher, Pb is 0.8 to 4.6 times higher, and Hg is equal to or 1.7 times higher. Cu, Cd and Se have the same concentration in both kind of soils and Mo and U are 1.7 to 2.0 times lower in the regular soils as compared to the reclaimed soils. Nevertheless, all concentrations are within the reported range for regular soils. Moreover, the concentrations of the studied elements in wheat grains harvested from both types of soils are approximately the same. The reason for the uniform uptake of elements by the plants is the very low solubility of the elements in the soil solutions. This is attributed to the high soil pH and the nature of the occurrence or bonding of the elements in soil minerals. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.