Pedogeochemical distribution of gallium, indium and thallium, their potential availability and associated risk in highly-weathered soil profiles of Taiwan

Yu-Hsi Liu; Sabry M Shaheen; Jörg Rinklebe; Zeng-Yei Hseu

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.110994

Pedogeochemical distribution of gallium, indium and thallium, their potential availability and associated risk in highly-weathered soil profiles of Taiwan

Environ Res. 2021 Jun:197:110994. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110994. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Authors

Yu-Hsi Liu¹, Sabry M Shaheen², Jörg Rinklebe³, Zeng-Yei Hseu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
² University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany; King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment, and Arid Land Agriculture, Department of Arid Land Agriculture, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; University of Kafrelsheikh, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil and Water Sciences, 33 516, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt.
³ University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany; Department of Environment, Energy and Geo informatics, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan. Electronic address: zyhseu@ntu.edu.tw.

PMID: 33713714
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110994

Abstract

Gallium (Ga), indium (In), and thallium (Tl) are emerging soil contaminants. Profile distribution of total content and available form as well as assessing the contamination degree of these elements in highly-weathered soils have not been studied. Consequently, the aim of this study was to determine the distribution of total (HF-digestion) and available (EDTA-extracted form) content of Ga, In, and Tl in eleven soil profiles collected from aged fluvial materials on the Quaternary terraces representing highly-weathered soils (Ultisols and Oxisols) in Taiwan as affected by soil properties. We also assessed the soils contamination degree using indices including enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (I_geo), and pollution loading index (PLI). The total element content varied from 9460 to 2340 μg kg^-1 for Ga, 4.77-37.1 μg kg^-1 for In, and from 55.7 to 206 μg kg^-1 for Tl. The elements showed different profile distribution in the soils. Soil contamination degree was low in all profiles according to the I_geo and PLI values, but the contamination degree according to the EF was severe for Ga and minor or moderate for In in selected horizons of some profiles. The median content of EDTA-extracted Ga, In, and Tl accounted for 24.0, 8.70, and 5.1% of the total content, respectively. The available Ga and Tl can be predicted by a function of total element and clay using multivariate linear regression analysis. The available In was not able to be predicted by a significant fit of the regression with total In and the studied soil properties, and thus we require more assessment approaches of In availability for the soils in the future.

Keywords: Emerging soil contaminants; Oxisols; Single extraction; Technology-critical element; Ultisols.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring
Gallium*
Indium
Soil
Soil Pollutants* / analysis
Taiwan
Thallium / analysis

Substances

Soil
Soil Pollutants
Indium
Thallium
Gallium