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Minerals
Volume 15
Issue 7
10.3390/min15070678
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Article

Distribution of Thallium in Sediments of the Fiora River Catchment, Central Italy: Implications for Its Sources

by
Alessia Nannoni
1,*,
Pierfranco Lattanzi
2,
Guia Morelli
2,
Cesare Fagotti
3,
Rossella Friani
3,
Valentina Rimondi
1 and
Pilario Costagliola
1,*
1
Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
2
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-IGG, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
3
ARPA Toscana-Area Vasta Sud, Loc. Ruffolo, 53100 Siena, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Minerals 2025, 15(7), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070678
Submission received: 14 May 2025 / Revised: 18 June 2025 / Accepted: 22 June 2025 / Published: 24 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogical and Chemical Characterization of Rocks, Soils, Sediments, and Water Containing Hazardous Substances)
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Abstract

Previous studies documented the contribution of toxic elements (Hg, As, and Sb) from the dismissed Monte Amiata Mining District (Italy), the third largest Hg producer worldwide, to the Mediterranean Sea. Another highly toxic element, thallium (Tl), received less attention. Here we report a reconnaissance study of the spatial variability of Tl content in stream sediments across the Fiora River catchment, which drains part of the Hg and Sb mining districts. Thallium contents are comparatively low (≤0.4 mg/kg) in sediments of creeks directly draining the mining areas, whereas they increase up to 2 mg/kg in the catchment section that drains the Vulsini ultrapotassic volcanic province, where no known mineral deposits occur. Results suggest that Hg and Sb deposits cannot be the only Tl source in the catchment. The most likely alternative/additional candidate are the high-K volcanic rocks. Although no specific data for the Vulsini district exist, a distinct Tl geochemical anomaly linked to the Latium volcanic province is present. The total Tl mass contained in sediments discharged yearly into the Mediterranean Sea from the Fiora River is estimated in the order of 0.1 t. This reconnaissance study indicates a non-negligible potential release of Tl from the mining districts and volcanic catchments in Central Italy and suggests the opportunity of further investigation on Tl distribution and speciation in the area.
Keywords: Thallium; Fiora River; pollution; stream sediments; contaminant hydrology; Vulsini volcanic province Thallium; Fiora River; pollution; stream sediments; contaminant hydrology; Vulsini volcanic province

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MDPI and ACS Style

Nannoni, A.; Lattanzi, P.; Morelli, G.; Fagotti, C.; Friani, R.; Rimondi, V.; Costagliola, P. Distribution of Thallium in Sediments of the Fiora River Catchment, Central Italy: Implications for Its Sources. Minerals 2025, 15, 678. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070678

AMA Style

Nannoni A, Lattanzi P, Morelli G, Fagotti C, Friani R, Rimondi V, Costagliola P. Distribution of Thallium in Sediments of the Fiora River Catchment, Central Italy: Implications for Its Sources. Minerals. 2025; 15(7):678. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070678

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nannoni, Alessia, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Guia Morelli, Cesare Fagotti, Rossella Friani, Valentina Rimondi, and Pilario Costagliola. 2025. "Distribution of Thallium in Sediments of the Fiora River Catchment, Central Italy: Implications for Its Sources" Minerals 15, no. 7: 678. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070678

APA Style

Nannoni, A., Lattanzi, P., Morelli, G., Fagotti, C., Friani, R., Rimondi, V., & Costagliola, P. (2025). Distribution of Thallium in Sediments of the Fiora River Catchment, Central Italy: Implications for Its Sources. Minerals, 15(7), 678. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070678

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