The Influence of Trace Elements on Environment; Distribution of Thallium in Fluids of Volcanic Areas

During weathering of igneous rocks thallium can be readily mobilized as TI⁺ in aqueous phase and picked up by plants. In this way it can reach the alimentary cycle of both livestock and humans. Since the toxicity of thallium is well-established, an analytical procedure for its determination is optimized in order to contribute to the knowledge of TI⁺ distribution in specific environments. The analytical method is applied to fluid phase samples from Vulcano island (Italy) and from other volcanic areas.