Distribution of mercury and other trace elements in the Mt. Amiata region (Southern Tuscany, Italy)

This PhD project focuses on the Hg mining district of Mt. Amiata, and to the environmental consequences deriving from the mining activity occurring in this region up to 1980's. Different aspects of Hg environmental impact are taken into consideration, focussing in particular to the Paglia Riber Basin (PRB), which drains the eastern sector of the Hg district. The main goals of the work are then: i) to establish an updated picture of Hg and methyl-Hg (MMHg) diffusion and distribution in the PBR; ii) to estimate the mass load of Hg transported by this river; iii) to characterize the speciation of Hg − and hence its bioavailability − in different environmental matrices; iv) to define the regional background for Hg.