Thallium as a killer that has been escaping our attention.
Nowadays great attention is paid to the research of so-called emergent contaminants. These foreign substances are very new in our environment. Their presence is usually related to modern activities in agriculture, industry, medicine, or new "hi-tech" technologies, and they include, for example, microplastics, modern pesticides, drugs and nanoparticles. These contaminants enter the environment, where they can have a toxic effect not only on nature but also on humans. The team from our Department of Soil Science and Soil Protection has been studying geochemistry of thallium (Tl) for some time. Not much is known about the behaviour of this heavy metal in nature. But we know for sure that it is extremely toxic and can be fatal for humans even in a minimal dose (~ 1 g / person).
In previous research, the team has tested the concentration and form of thallium at various levels (waste, soil, water, plant, etc.). They have now focused on the study of stable isotopes (205Tl / 203Tl), which can help scientists better describe the accumulation of thallium or perhaps determine its original source. The following work describes the mechanism of thallium sorption and the variability of its isotopes in soil in the Czech Republic. Scientists have found out where this metal is most concentrated in the soil, what are its main accumulators and what it means to us. Research has also confirmed that secondary manganese oxides are effective thallium "eaters" and completely change its isotope signature, which remains hereditary.
The complete work, which was supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, can be found here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749120329559
VEJVODOVÁ, Kateřina, Aleš VANĚK, Martin MIHALJEVIČ, et al. Thallium isotopic fractionation in soil: the key controls. Environmental Pollution [online]. 2020, 265 [cit. 2021-03-20]. ISSN 02697491. Dostupné z: doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114822
