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Source Identification of Soil Mercury in the Spanish Islands

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Abstract

This study spatially analysed the relation between mercury (Hg) content in soil and Hg in rock fragment for the purpose of assessing natural soil Hg contribution compared with Hg from human inputs. We present the Hg content of 318 soil and rock fragment samples from 11 islands distributed into two Spanish archipelagos (the volcanic Canary Islands [Canaries] and the Mediterranean Balearic [Balearic] islands). Assumedly both are located far enough away from continental Hg sources to be able to minimise the effects of diffuse pollution. Physical and chemical soil properties were also specified for the samples. Hg contents were significantly greater in the Balearic limestone soils (61 μg kg−1) than in the volcanic soils of the Canaries (33 μg kg−1). Hg levels were also greater in topsoil than in rocky fragments, especially on the Balearics. The soil-to-rock ratios varied between 1 and 30. Interestingly, the highest topsoil-to-rock Hg ratio (>16 ×) was found in the vicinity of a coal-fired power plant in Majorca, whereas no similar areas in the Canary archipelago were identified.

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Acknowledgments

We greatly appreciate the financial assistance provided by the Spanish Ministry (Grant No. CC01-0013) and are also grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for Project CGL2009-14686-C02-02 as well as CAM for Project P2009/AMB-1648 CARESOIL. The authors thank Manuel Torrijos for technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of the Environment, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaría (INIA), Ctra. de la Coruña km 7.5, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    José Antonio Rodríguez Martín

  2. Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Department of the Environment, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaría (INIA), Ctra. A Coruña km 7.5, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Gregoria Carbonell

  3. Madrid Technical University, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Nikos Nanos

  4. Department of Environmental Contamination, Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (ICA)–Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Serrano 115B, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Carmen Gutiérrez

Authors
  1. José Antonio Rodríguez Martín
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  2. Gregoria Carbonell
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  3. Nikos Nanos
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  4. Carmen Gutiérrez
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Correspondence to José Antonio Rodríguez Martín.

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Rodríguez Martín, J.A., Carbonell, G., Nanos, N. et al. Source Identification of Soil Mercury in the Spanish Islands. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 64, 171–179 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-012-9831-y

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