Review of the mobility of trace elements in soils and of the use of physico-chemical stabilization as an in situ management strategy for contaminated sites. Industrial activities have greatly impacted the quality of the biophysical environment in some areas. This review focuses on the consequences of soil contamination by metallic trace elements: what factors determine the mobility of contaminants in soils and what remediation practices based upon physico-chemical stabilization can be used in response? Physico-chemical stabilization is an in situ remediation technique, which aims at limiting the dispersion of metals in the environment through the use of soil conditioners and amendments in contaminated sites. In this article, we firstly review the concepts involved in the mobility of trace elements and their indicators. We then provide an overview of the current information regarding the different kinds of amendments that may be applied to stabilize contaminants in soils and the processes involved.