Nano-mineral assemblages in mercury- and silver-contaminated soils: records of sequestration, transformation, and release of mercury- and silver-bearing nanoparticles

In mercury-contaminated soils, mercury sulfides (HgS) occur as nanoparticles in mineral surface coatings. The coatings are composed of ferrihydrite and its replacement by goethite results in the release of the HgS nanoparticles.