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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil
Published on: September 1, 2020
Bioavailability of mercury in contaminated soils assessed by the diffusive gradient in thin film technique in
Andrea Ridošková1,2, Aurélie Pelfrêne3, Francis Douay3
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
We assessed the relationship between the diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT) technique using the new ion-exchange resin Ambersep GT74 and the uptake of mercury (Hg) by a model plant cultivated on metal-contaminated agricultural soils under greenhouse conditions. Based on the total Hg content, 0.37 to 1.17% of the Hg passed to the soil porewater from the solid phase, and 2.18 to 9.18% of the Hg is DGT-available. These results were confirmed by calculating the R value (the ratio of the concentrations of bioavailable Hg measured by DGT and soil solution), which illustrated the strong bonding of Hg to the solid phase of soil and its extremely low mobility. Only inorganic Hg2+ species were found in the metal-contaminated agricultural soils, as determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography-cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry speciation analysis. The Hg was distributed in Miscanthus × giganteus organs in the following order for all sampling sites: roots (55-82%) >> leaves (8-27%) > stems (7-16%) > rhizomes (4-7%). Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:321-328. © 2018 SETAC.
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