Abstract Tellurium (Te) is a rare metalloid in the chalcogen group of the Periodic Table. Tellurium is regularly listed as a critical raw material both due to its increased use in the solar industry and to the dependence on other commodities in its supply chain. A thorough understanding of the (bio)geochemistry of Te in surface environments is fundamental for supporting the search for future sources of Te (geochemical exploration); developing innovative processing techniques for extracting Te; and quantifying the environmental risks associated with rapidly increasing anthropogenic uses. The present work links existing research in inorganic Te geochemistry and mineralogy with the bio(geo)chemical and biological literature towards developing an integrated Te cycling model. Although average crustal rocks contain only a few μg/kg of Te, hydrothermal fluids and vapours are able to enrich Te to levels in excess of mg/kg. Tellurium is currently recovered as a by-product of base-metal mining; in these deposits, it occurs mainly in common sulfides substituting for sulfur. Extreme Te enrichment (up to wt.%) is found in association with the precious metals Au and Ag in the form of telluride and sulfosalt minerals. Tellurium also forms a large variety of oxygen-containing secondary minerals as a result of weathering of Te-containing ores in (near-)surface environments. Anthropogenic activities introduce significant amounts of Te into surficial environments, both through processing materials that contain minor Te and through breakdown of used Te-containing materials. Additionally, radioactive 132Te is produced in nuclear reactors and can contaminate surrounding and distal environments. Environmental contamination of Te poses concern to organisms due to the acute toxicity of some Te compounds, especially the soluble tellurite and tellurate anions. A small percentage of microorganisms, however, are able to tolerate elevated levels of Te by detoxifying it through precipitation or volatilisation. Bioaccumulation of Te compounds can occur in some plants of the garlic family. A variety of interlinked organic and inorganic processes govern Te environmental chemistry. The Te cycle in surface environments incorporates (oxidative) dissolution of Te from primary ore minerals, inorganic precipitation and redissolution processes in which secondary minerals are formed, and bioreductive reprecipitation and volatilisation processes governed mainly by microbes. Our integrated Te cycling model highlights the interplay between anthropogenic, geochemical and biogeochemical processes on the distribution and mobility of Te in surface environments.

中文翻译：

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爱在地球：地球表面环境中碲（生物）地球化学综述

摘要碲 (Te) 是元素周期表中硫属元素族中的一种稀有准金属。由于碲在太阳能行业的使用增加以及对供应链中其他商品的依赖，碲经常被列为关键原材料。彻底了解地表环境中 Te 的（生物）地球化学是支持寻找未来 Te 来源（地球化学勘探）的基础；开发提取 Te 的创新加工技术；量化与快速增加的人为用途相关的环境风险。目前的工作将现有的无机 Te 地球化学和矿物学研究与生物（地球）化学和生物学文献联系起来，以开发综合 Te 循环模型。虽然平均地壳岩石中只含有几微克/公斤的 Te，热液和蒸汽能够将 Te 富集到超过 mg/kg 的水平。碲目前作为贱金属开采的副产品被回收；在这些矿床中，它主要存在于代替硫的普通硫化物中。在碲化物和硫盐矿物形式的贵金属 Au 和 Ag 中发现了极端的 Te 富集（高达重量百分比）。由于含碲矿石在（近）地表环境中的风化作用，碲还会形成多种含氧次生矿物。人为活动通过处理含有少量 Te 的材料和分解使用过的含 Te 材料，将大量 Te 引入地表环境。此外，放射性 132Te 是在核反应堆中产生的，会污染周围和远端环境。由于一些 Te 化合物的急性毒性，尤其是可溶性亚碲酸盐和碲酸盐阴离子，Te 的环境污染对生物体造成了关注。然而，一小部分微生物能够通过沉淀或挥发将其解毒来耐受升高的 Te 水平。Te 化合物的生物蓄积可能发生在大蒜科的一些植物中。各种相互关联的有机和无机过程控制着环境化学。地表环境中的 Te 循环包括来自原生矿石矿物的 Te 的（氧化）溶解、形成次生矿物的无机沉淀和再溶解过程，以及主要由微生物控制的生物还原再沉淀和挥发过程。我们的综合 Te 循环模型强调了人为因素之间的相互作用，