Content and distribution of arsenic, bismuth, lithium and selenium in mineral and synthetic fertilizers and their contribution to soil

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Abstract
Concentrations of Ar, Bi, Li and Se were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 32 samples of commercial fertilizers from various manufacturers and distributors. Ar and Li were detected in all investigated samples, Bi in 50% of samples and Se only in 2 samples. Ar content ranged from 2-321 ppm; Li varied from 0.1-5 ppm; Bi was always < 0.5 ppm; Se was detectable at the levels of 10 and 13 ppm. Fertilizers made from rock phosphates contained trace element amounts generally higher than those derived from rock carbonates, synthetic N fertilizers and K2SO4. Additions of trace elements from fertilizers applied at common rates to cultivated soils are tabulated and discussed on the basis of the natural soil reserves and toxicity levels for plants. Whereas applications of Bi rarely influenced the usual soil content and plant uptake of trace elements, and Se was only rarely present in fertilizers; Li and Ar additions could influence the trace element status in soil, overcoming, occasionally, the toxicity levels for more sensitive crops.