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The concentrations of Pt in sediments, water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) were determined in the Lérez river estuary (Pontevedra Ria, NW Iberian Peninsula) on two sampling dates in 2008 and 2011, by means of catalytic adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Average concentrations in sediments (1.2 ± 0.5 ng g -1 ; n=13) corresponded to an enrichment factor of 2-4 compared to background values, and were in the range of those found in the SPM during the 2011 sampling (2.1 ± 2.4 ng g -1 ; n=15), but significantly lower than in 2008 SPM (8.0 ± 4.4 ng g -1 ; n=15). Higher dissolved Pt concentrations were also found in 2008 (0.21 and 0.62 pM in the freshwater and seawater end-member) compared to the 2011 campaign (0.03 -freshwater -and 0.40 pM -seawater endmember). Concentrations in the seawater end-members exceed those of typical North Atlantic waters, suggesting inputs of this element within the estuary. The extremely low value for the freshwater end-member in 2011 appears to be among the lowest Pt concentrations ever reported in the literature. Non-conservative behaviour of Pt during estuarine mixing was observed on both sampling dates. Particle-water distribution coefficients (KD) show a decrease with salinity, in agreement with speciation calculations, which predict a transfer from neutral Pt(II) (as Pt(OH)2) in freshwater to negatively charged Pt(IV) (as PtCl5(OH) 2-) species in seawater. Such behaviour during estuarine mixing can play an important role in Pt mobilization from contaminated particles discharged into estuaries and coasts.

The current socio-economic, environmental and public health challenges that countries are facing clearly need common-defined strategies to inform and support our transition to a sustainable economy. Here, the technology-critical elements (which includes Ga, Ge, In, Te, Nb, Ta, Tl, the Platinum Group Elements and most of the rare-earth elements) are of great relevance in the development of emerging key technologies—including renewable energy, energy efficiency, electronics or the aerospace industry. In this context, the increasing use of technology-critical elements (TCEs) and associated environmental impacts (from mining to end-of-life waste products) is not restricted to a national level but covers most likely a global scale. Accordingly, the European COST Action TD1407: Network on Technology-Critical Elements (NOTICE)—from environmental processes to human health threats, has an overall objective for creating a network of scientists and practitioners interested in TCEs, from the evaluation of their environmental processes to understanding potential human health threats, with the aim of defining the current state of knowledge and gaps, proposing priority research lines/activities and acting as a platform for new collaborations and joint research projects. The Action is focused on three major scientific areas: (i) analytical chemistry, (ii) environmental biogeochemistry and (iii) human exposure and (eco)-toxicology.

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