Gaseous mercury evasion from bare and grass-covered soils contaminated by mining and ore roasting (Isonzo River alluvial plain, Northeastern Italy).

High amounts of mercury (Hg) can be released into the atmosphere from soil surfaces of legacy contaminated areas as gaseous elemental mercury (Hg). The alluvial plain of the Isonzo River (NE Italy) suffered widespread Hg contamination due to the re-distribution of Hg-enriched material discharged by historical cinnabar mining at the Idrija mine (Slovenia), but an assessment of Hg releases from the soils of this area is still lacking. In this work, Hg fluxes at the soil-air interface were evaluated using a non-steady state flux chamber coupled with a real-time Hg analyser at 6 sites within the Isonzo River plain.