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Trace metal

About: Trace metal is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5125 publications have been published within this topic receiving 181046 citations.


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Journal ArticleDOI
01 Nov 1978-Nature
TL;DR: In this paper, the zinc ion activity (rather than the total zinc concentration) can limit the growth rate of a coastal diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grun. = T. fluviatalis).
Abstract: THE total zinc concentration in unpolluted marine waters has been reported to be in the 10−10 M range1. Such low concentration of an essential micronutrient suggests that the growth of some phytoplankton may be zinc limited. Of the trace metals necessary for phytoplankton growth, only iron has been considered a potential limiting micronutrient in the marine environment2,3. On the basis of laboratory work which focused mostly on copper, it is well known that the toxicity of a trace metal depends on its chemical speciation and can be related uniquely to its free ion activity4,5. However, it has not been established unequivocally that the availability of some metals may also be controlled by their free ion activities and may thus be depressed by organic complexation. Here we report laboratory experiments demonstrating that the zinc ion activity (rather than the total zinc concentration) can limit the growth rate of a coastal diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grun. = T. fluviatalis Hust.) and that the limitation occurs at zinc ion activities which would be present in unpolluted seawater if any organic complexation of zinc were taking place.

240 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The trace elements Ag, As, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cs, Cu, Ga, Hf, Hg, In, La, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pd, Rb, Rh, Ru, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Te, Th, Tl, U, V, W, Y and Zr were determined in 130 human blood samples from occupationally non-exp

236 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There has been a plethora of research in the application of ion-selective electrode (ISE) methodologies that meet the stringent requirements (i.e., high selectivities and very low detection limits) for the analysis of important analytes in the environment as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: This review will illustrate how it is possible to develop ion-selective electrode (ISE) methodologies that meet the stringent requirements (i.e., high selectivities and very low detection limits) for the analysis of important analytes in the environment, and will present a variety of examples on the application of ISEs in environmental analysis. Despite the experimental biases that have limited the analytical performance of ISEs through apparently high detection limits and modest selectivities, there has been a plethora of research in the application of ISEs in the monitoring of environmentally important trace metals and anions in natural waters and soils. Most popular has been the analysis of free metals in natural waters, as this parameter is known to be a master variable in the uptake and toxicology of trace metals on aquatic biota reflecting the bioavailability of trace metals in the environment. Furthermore, as copper is a major trace metal in coastal waters due to its extensive use in antifouling paints on sea vessels and structures, there are many reports in the literature on the use of the copper ISE in assays of either free copper or the copper complexing capacity of natural waters and soil peats. Moreover, there have been a variety of studies showing a strong correlation between free copper levels and the toxicity of copper on a variety of marine and fresh water organisms. Nevertheless, there are numerous reports in the literature that have used ISEs to monitor important anions such as fluoride, phosphate, sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, cyanide, etc., as well as other important cations such as ammonium and chromium(VI) in waste and natural waters. In conclusion, this review will present new and interesting perspectives on the application of ISEs in environmental analysis using approaches such as real-time remote monitoring of water quality, shipboard monitoring of environmentally important analytes using flow analysis instrumentation, the use of robust all-solid-state ISEs in submersible instruments for long-term deployment in the field, and innovative analytical approaches such as backside calibration and switchtrodes that avoid standard addition analysis and the concomitant perturbation in analyte speciation in natural samples.

234 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Foliar diagnostics suggest that Na (>1% in affected plants) is the prime cause of growth effects in red mud and in corresponding NaOH amended soils, concluding that the Na salinity, not the trace metal contamination, is the main concern for this red mud in soil.
Abstract: The red mud accident of October 4, 2010, in Ajka (Hungary) contaminated a vast area with caustic, saline red mud (pH 12) that contains several toxic trace metals above soil limits. Red mud was characterized and its toxicity for plants was measured to evaluate the soil contamination risks. Red mud radioactivity (e.g., 238U) is about 10-fold above soil background and previous assessments revealed that radiation risk is limited to indoor radon. The plant toxicity and trace metal availability was tested with mixtures of this red mud and a local noncontaminated soil up to a 16% dry weight fraction. Increasing red mud applications increased soil pH to maximally 8.3 and soil solution EC to 12 dS m−1. Shoot yield of barley seedlings was affected by 25% at 5% red mud in soil and above. Red mud increased shoot Cu, Cr, Fe, and Ni concentrations; however, none of these exceed toxic limits reported elsewhere. Moreover, NaOH amended reference treatments showed similar yield reductions and similar changes in shoot compo...

232 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The high solubility of As from litter and its apparent ready mineralization to inorganic forms coupled with the large quantity of litter that is annually land-applied in the USA suggests a potential detrimental effect on soil and water quality in the long term.
Abstract: Trace elements are added to poultry feed for disease prevention and enhanced feed efficiency. High concentrations are found in poultry litter (PL), which raises concerns regarding trace element loading of soils. Trace metal cation solubility from PL may be enhanced by complexation with dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Mineralization of organo-As compounds may result in more toxic species such as As(III) and As(V). Speciation of these elements in PL leachates should assist in predicting their fate in soil. Elemental concentrations of 40 PL samples from the southeastern USA were determined. Water-soluble extractions (WSE) were fractionated into hydrophobic, anionic, and cationic species with solid-phase extraction columns. Arsenic speciation of seven As species, including the main As poultry feed additives, roxarsone (ROX; 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid) and p-arsanilic acid (p-ASA; 4-aminophenylarsonic acid), was performed by ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS). Total As concentrations in the litter varied from 1 to 39 mg kg(-1), averaging 16 mg kg(-1). Mean total Cu, Ni, and Zn concentrations were 479, 11, and 373 mg kg(-1), respectively. Copper and Ni were relatively soluble (49 and 41% respectively) while only 6% of Zn was soluble. Arsenic was highly soluble with an average of 71% WSE. Roxarsone was the major As species in 50% of PL samples. However, the presence of As(V) as the major species in 50% of the PL samples indicates that mineralization of ROX had occurred. The high solubility of As from litter and its apparent ready mineralization to inorganic forms coupled with the large quantity of litter that is annually land-applied in the USA suggests a potential detrimental effect on soil and water quality in the long term.

231 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202394
2022225
2021197
2020220
2019193
2018186