Author(s)

Michael Aide

Department of Agriculture, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA.

The soil chemistry of gallium, indium, and thallium is not well defined, particularly with emerging evidence that these elements have toxic properties and may influence food safety. The purpose of this investigation was to estimate the soil concentrations of gallium, indium, and thallium and determine if these elements have a soil chemistry like aluminum and therefore demonstrate significant concentration correlations with aluminum. Twenty-seven soil series were selected, and the elemental concentrations were determined using aqua regia digestion with analytical determination performed using inductively coupled plasma emission-mass spectroscopy. The concentrations of gallium, indium, and thallium generally compared with the known literature. Aluminum-gallium and aluminum-thallium exhibited significant concentration correlations across the soil horizons of the sampled soils. Aluminum, gallium, and thallium did demonstrate concentration increases in soil horizons having illuviation of phyllosilicates, implying these phyllosilicates have adsorption and isomorphic substitution behaviors involving these elements.

Trace Elements, Gallium, Indium, Thallium, Soils, Aluminum

Aide, M. (2024) Soil Profile Concentration Distributions of Aluminum, Gallium, Indium and Thallium across Southeastern Missouri. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 12, 80-92. doi: 10.4236/gep.2024.121006.