Relative Abundance of Thiolated Species of As, Mo, W, and Sb in Hot Springs of Yellowstone National Park and Iceland

Research reveals that thiolated species of arsenic (As), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), and antimony (Sb) are prevalent in sulfide-rich hot springs, particularly in Yellowstone National Park and Iceland. Thioarsenates were the most abundant and widespread, often dominating arsenic speciation, while thiomolybdates also dominated in many Icelandic springs. Thiotungstates and thioantimonates were less frequent but still significant contributors. The study highlights that thiolation substantially influences the speciation of these elements, with higher sulfide-to-metal(loid) ratios leading to greater thiolation, especially in Icelandic systems. These findings underscore the necessity of analyzing thiolated species when studying geothermal environments, as traditional methods often overlook their presence.

Planer-Friedrich, B., Forberg, J., Lohmayer, R., Kerl, C. F., Boeing, F., Kaasalainen, H., & Stefánsson, A. (2020). Relative Abundance of Thiolated Species of As, Mo, W, and Sb in Hot Springs of Yellowstone National Park and Iceland. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(7), 4295–4304. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c00668