Mercury in humus horizons of soils in the Transbaikal region

The total mercury content has been determined in gray forest soils, chernozems, chestnut soils, and in different parent materials in the Transbaikal region. The mercury content is below the clarke value in the intrusive, effusive, and alluvial soil-forming rocks (0.004–0.024 mg/kg). In the humus horizons of the soils, it reaches 0.011–0.026 mg/kg, which is higher than the clarke value for the pedosphere. The mean background content of mercury in the soils of the Transbaikal region is 0.018 mg/kg. No significant positive correlation between the mercury content and the humus content of the soils has been revealed.