Soil water

Organic chemistry

Aqua regia

Transfer factor

Soil contamination

Biology

Leaching (pedology)

Environmental chemistry

Contamination

Soil science

Chemistry

Ecology

Immunology

Metal

Bioconcentration

Environmental science

Bioaccumulation

Environment International

Technology-critical elements (TCEs) include most rare earth elements (REEs), the platinum group elements (PGEs), and Ga, Ge, In, Nb, Ta, Te, and Tl. Despite increasing recognition of their prolific release into the environment, their soil to plant transfer remains largely unknown. This paper provides an approximation of the potential for plant uptake by calculating bioconcentration factors (BCFs), defined as the concentration in edible vegetable tissues relative to that in cultivation soil. Here data were obtained from an indoor cultivation experiment growing lettuce, chard, and carrot on 22 different European urban soils. Values of BCFs were determined from concentrations of TCEs in vegetable samples after digestion with concentrated HNO

Future food contaminants: An assessment of the plant uptake of Technology-critical elements versus traditional metal contaminants