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Trace Elements in Abiotic and Biotic Environments
<3000 μg/kg (Fuchs and Rose vide Kabata-Pendias 2011). Various Pt amounts in
soils are reported for different countries (in μg/kg): Australia, <5–70; Italy, 1.2–52;
the United Kingdom, 2.3–21; and Germany, 0.35–330 (Ravindra et al. 2004).
The maximum levels of Pt, reported for roadside soils of various countries, are as
follows (in μg/kg): California, 680; Hawaii, 506; Western Australia, 440; Germany, 330;
Mexico, 300; Italy, 278; Greece, 141; and Austria, 134. In some road dusts in the EU
countries, elevated Pt concentrations may be up to 1000 μg/kg. Its highest contents are
always reported for soils along high traffic roads and in road dusts (Farago et al. 1998).
Platinum distribution in surface soils shows a positive correlation with traffic
flow. The estimation of its emission from motor vehicles varies, and recent calculations showed that it might be between 0.5 and 0.8 μg Pt/km (Pyrzyńska vide KabataPendias 2011). Such a calculation for the vicinity of Frankfurt (Germany) is at mean
value of 0.27 μg/km (Zereini et al. 2001). Significant Pt sources are hospital effluents, which contain it within the range of 0.01–0.66 μg/L (Kümmerer 2013). One
hospital may release about 330  g/yr. Extrapolation on a national basis amounted
to an upper limit of 141 kg/yr for the Pt input in Germany. Up to 70% of Pt used in
drugs is excreted and go to hospital effluents.
Platinum emissions in Germany are estimated as follows (in kg/yr): catalytic
converters, 15; hospital effluents, 28–60; and sewage sludge, 100–400. About
one-third of Pt concentrations in sewage sludge originates from automobile converters (Schäfer and Puchelt 1998). Important, local Pt emissions are from Ni
ore mining and smelting industries. Nickel ores contain Pt within the range of
600–13,700 μg/kg, and its emission from one Ni smelter (Monchegorsk, Russia)
is about 2.2 t/yr.
Platinum emitted from motor vehicles is mainly in the form of nanocrystals. Some
oxidized Pt species are also emitted, and they may be easily mobilized by complexation and biomethylation, especially when they are associated with organic matter
(OM) compounds. It is also likely to form complexes with inorganic ions (Cl, N, S),
which are of a great mobility and bioavailability. There are estimations, however,
that only about 5% of Pt in street dust is in the mobile fraction (Ljubomirova et al.
vide Kabata-Pendias 2011).
33.3 WATERS
Platinum concentrations in seawater vary, depending on the location and water depth
(increasing with depth), from 0.004 to 0.332 ng/L. The median value for the North
Pacific is reported to be 0.05 ng/L (Nozaki 2005). In water from the Baltic Sea, the
mean Pt concentration is 2.2  ng/L (Szefer 2002). Much higher Pt contents, up to
20 ng/L, are in the waters of some lakes in Norway (Reimann and de Caritat 1998).
Rainwater collected during 1999 in Sweden contains Pt, at an average of 22 ng/L.
Its wet deposition is calculated as 250 mg/ha/yr (Eriksson 2001a).
The main sources of Pt in surface water are its contents in sewage sludge from
industrial areas and in effluents from hospitals. However, it was finely concluded that
the main input of Pt into municipal sewage was urban and road run-off from traffic
and other Pt emitting sources, and not from hospital sewage. Also road dusts fall
down to water may be a significant Pt source.