Mercury concentrations in a historic lead mining and smelting town in the Czech Republic: a pilot study

Thirty-one topsoils (0–5 cm) from Pribram, a smelting and mining town in the Czech Republic, have been analysed for mercury content by ICP-AES. The aim of this preliminary survey was to determine whether a problem may exist in this area regarding Hg contamination. The geometric mean Hg concentration recorded was 0.36 μg g−1 with a range of 0.07-2.32 μg g−1. The maximum concentration was recorded in the smelter area of the town and a smaller peak was observed in the mining area. Topsoil Hg concentration was significantly correlated with distance from the smelter (P < 0.10) and with organic matter content of the soil (P < 0.01). The possible implications for Hg exposure are discussed.