Tissue level distribution of toxic and essential elements during the germination stage of corn seeds (Zea mays, L.) using LA-ICP-MS.

Both essential and toxic metal contaminants impact agricultural crops by bioaccumulation in plants. The goal of this study was to evaluate the tissue-level spatial distribution of metal(loids) in corn seeds (Zea mays, L.) from contaminated corn fields near the Xikuangshan (XKS) antimony mine in Hunan, China, and compared them with corn (Zea mays everta L.