In this paper, the recent advance in the study of the interactions between minerals and organic acids (both of small molecules and of large molecules) is presented. The stress is placed on the environmental significance and the mechanisms of the interactions at the interface between organic acids and minerals. The characteristics associated with the interactions and the difference in reactivity between small molecule organic acid and humic acid are discussed too. The interactions can control the transport, transformation and eventual fate of metals and organic contaminants as well as nutrient availability for biota. The interactions involve coexisting multiform mechanisms. The mechanisms are mainly affected by such factors as surface functional groups of organic acids and minerals, their content distribution, and the molecule mass and hydrophobic property of organic acids. The objective of this study is to raise the understanding of the interactions between minerals and organic acids as well as their environmental significance.