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Influence of extreme pollution on the inorganic chemical composition of some plants
Abstract
Leaves of nine different plant species (terrestrial moss: Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi, blueberry: Vaccinium myrtillus, cowberry: Vaccinium vitis-idaea, crowberry: Empetrum nigrum, birch: Betula pubescens, willow: Salix spp., pine: Pinus sylvestris, and spruce: Picea abies) have been collected from up to nine catchments (size 14-50 km2) spread over a 1,500,000 km2 area in northern Europe. Additional soil samples were taken from the O-horizon and the C-horizon at each plant sample site. All samples were analysed for 38 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Th, Tl, U, V, Y, Zn, and Zr) by ICP-MS, ICP-AES or CV-AAS (Hg) techniques. One of the 9 catchments was located directly adjacent (5-10 km S) to the nickel smelter and refinery at Monchegorsk, Kola Peninsula, Russia. The high levels of pollution at this site are reflected in the chemical composition of all plant leaves. However, it appears that each plant enriches (or excludes) different elements. Elements emitted at trace levels, such as Ag, As and Bi, are relatively much more enriched in most plants than the major pollutants Ni, Cu and Co. The very high levels of SO2 emissions are generally not reflected by increases in plant total S-content. Several important macro-(P) and micro-nutrients (Mn, Mg, and Zn) are depleted in most plant leaves collected near Monchegorsk.
... 7 Spruce needles from the Barents region 8 contained 24 mg kg À1 , and from the Oslo transect area 0, 50 mg kg À1 of Tl. 9 A Tl content of 99 AE 21 mg kg À1 in pine needles from the Czech Republic has been published. 4 Pine and spruce needles from a Swedish forest contained up to 300, 5 Scots pine tree rings from a smelter-affected area up to 840, 2 spruce and r needles, twigs, bark and xylem from Tibetan Plateau 5-193, 10 for leaves and twigs in Hailuogou Basin a value of 13-200 11 was found, and pine and spruce needles collected in northern Europe showed a content of [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]12 all in mg kg À1 of Tl. Nriagu stated the average Tl content of 25 mg kg À1 in terrestrial plants. ...
... Instrumentation availability and the speed and the cost of analysis are also important parameters. The current methods used for Tl monitoring include atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), 14,15 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), 2,5,7,[10][11][12]14 inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) 2,11,14 and, less frequently, spectrophotometry, instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), X-ray uorescence or voltammetry. 4 The choice of an appropriate method is oen closely connected with preconcentration, selective separation, and purication procedures. ...
... MW digestion has the advantage of a shorter time, smaller amounts of reagent requirement, and prevention of loss of volatile elements. 1,4,5,[7][8][9][10][11][12]15,16,43 The presence of Si at a concentration of greater than 2000 mg g À1 may result in a considerable loss of analytes, including Tl, if HF is not used for the digestion of plants. 43 Only HNO 3 was used for microwave assisted digestion in this study. ...
Four spectrochemical methods are employed for the determination of Tl in spruce needles: ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), ETV-ICP-MS (electrothermal vaporisation coupled to ICP-MS) analysis of decomposed and slurry samples (SlS), and SS-HR-CS-GFAAS (solid sampling high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry). The methods are compared considering practical laboratory aspects (sample pretreatment, optimisation, validation, time-consumption), as well as their analytical performance. For this specific case of Tl in spruce needles, all the methods had similar requirements regarding the time required for sample pretreatment (1-2 hours, ETV-ICP-MS, SS-HR-CS-GFAAS < ICP-MS < SlS-ETV-ICP-MS). The method optimisation can be considered as routine for ICP-MS and more complicated for slurry and solid sampling, due to the differences in the matrix of standards and samples. ICP-MS optimisation required a several dozen minutes and dozens of hours for the ETV methods, which increases operational costs. ETV-ICP-MS requires a well experienced operator, skilled in both techniques (graphite furnace and ICP-MS). The order of complexity can be classified as follows: ICP-MS < SS-HR-CS-GFAAS < ETV-ICP-MS, SlS-ETV-ICP-MS. Requirements for validation in terms of the chemicals, calibration standards, and reference and control materials are similar. Major differences were evident in time demands. The procedural LODs were found typically below 1 μg kg⁻¹ of Tl (in μg kg⁻¹): 0.18 ICP-MS, 0.010 ETV-ICP-MS, 0.024 SlS-ETV-ICP-MS and 1.2 SS-HR-CS-GFAAS, which are appropriate for the Tl levels found in environmental samples. The range of recoveries did not differ significantly for the different methods used (in %): ICP-MS 92-107, ETV-ICP-MS 90-114, SlS-ETV-ICP-MS 94.5-117 and SS-HR-CS-GFAAS 90-115. ICP-MS revealed better repeatabilities (1.9-6.2%) than the others (ETV-ICP-MS 5.2-19%, SlS-ETV-ICP-MS 6.3-17% and SS-HR-CS-GFAAS 0.17-15%), as expected. In practice, ICP-MS shows significant advantages for analysis of Tl in spruce needles. However, it is necessary to consider all of the factors discussed. ETV techniques may have a justified place in special routine applications, in which the difficult development and validation of methods is much more convenient than the daily preparation of highly resistant or otherwise complicated samples.
... The specific sensitivity of some plant species to the presence of heavy metals in soil allows for the determination of the degree, range and structure of environmental changes. Amongst plant utilised for bioindication purposes, bilberry low-growing shrubs Vaccinium myrtillus L. offer practical application for attaining information on a degree of environment contamination (Reimann et al. 2001;Uhlig, Junttila 2001;Salemaa et al. 2004;Białońska et al. 2007;Kukla, Kuklová 2008;Mróz, Demczuk 2010;Kandziora-Ciupa et al. 2013;Remon et al. 2013). Bilberry V. myrtillus grows both on contaminated areas and those free of pollution. ...
... Studies on bioindication include bilberry leaves, stems and roots (Mróz, Demczuk 2010;Kozanecka et al. 2002) as well as fruits ( (Demczuk, Garbiec 2009;Pająk, Jasik 2012). Bylińska (1992), Reimann et al. (2001) and Boyd (2007) ranked V. myrtillus as plant species with superior abilities to accumulate manganese. ...
... The results obtained in this study indicate excessive accumulation of manganese in V. myrtillus shoots. Reimann et al. (2001) as well as Bylińska (1992) noted that bilberry plants were distinctive of high contents of Mn, apart from those observed in soil. Boyd (2007) described this low-growing shrub as manganese accumulator in view of the fact that the concentration of manganese in bilberry tissues can be even above 2000 mg . ...
The research was carried out in the Słowiński National Park, in an area with 15 research stations in pine coniferous forests situated at locations (1) inaccessible to tourists, (2) most frequently visited by tourists as well as (3) in the vicinity of parking lots. The analysed samples comprised surface generic levels (Ol, Ofh, A), aboveground material (shoots; leaves and stems) and below-ground material (roots) of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). The performed analyses showed statistically significant Spearman’s correlation coefficients for Zn content in the ‘soil - stems:’ (r = -0.44, p < 0.05, n = 45) relationship and the ‘soil - roots’ relationship (r = -0.52, p < 0.05, n = 45). Accordingly, there were significant statistical differences (U Mann-Whitney test) in zinc content in the ‘stems - roots’ relationship and the ‘leaves - roots’ relationship. Furthermore, the obtained results reveal an excessive accumulation of Mn in V. myrtillus. The content of the investigated heavy metals in V. myrtillus shoots decreased in the following order: Mn > Fe > Zn > Cu
... The values of leaf concentration of Na in the present work showed a great variability resulting in only one significant figure in the measurement (Table 6), probably due to different loadings of aerosols. Concerning Na, our data are basically elevated compared with median values for northern Norway, Finland, and northern Russia reported by Reimann et al. (2001). Plants sampled by Reimann et al. (2001) were neither washed prior to analysis. ...
... Concerning Na, our data are basically elevated compared with median values for northern Norway, Finland, and northern Russia reported by Reimann et al. (2001). Plants sampled by Reimann et al. (2001) were neither washed prior to analysis. According to Wyttenbach and Tobler (2002), any Sc value exceeding a few micrograms per kilogram is an indication of soil contamination of the sample. ...
... The variation exceeds method uncertainty; thus, a between-year variation is a most seemingly explanation. Arsenic, Sb, Tl, and Y appear to be somewhat higher, while overall Ba, Co, Ni, P, and Sr are lower compared with levels observed in northern Norway, northern Finland, and northern Russia (Reimann et al. 2001). Considering B, Fe, Mo, and S, no significant differences were noticed between south and north. ...
Baseline levels of 43 elements, including major, trace, and rare earth elements (REEs) in several native plant species growing in boreal and alpine areas, are presented. Focus is placed on species metal levels at different soil conditions, temporal variations in plant tissue metal concentrations, and interspecies variation in metal concentrations. Vegetation samples were collected at Sogndal, a pristine site in western Norway, and at Risdalsheia, an acidified site in southernmost Norway. Metal concentrations in the different species sampled in western Norway are compared with relevant literature data from Norway, Finland, and northwest Russia, assumed to represent natural conditions. Except for aluminium (Al) and macronutrients, the levels of metals were generally lower in western Norway than in southern Norway and may be considered close to natural background levels. In southern Norway, the levels of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in particular appear to be affected by air pollution, either by direct atmospheric supply or through soil acidification. Levels of some elements show considerable variability between as well as within plant species. Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K) are higher in most species at Sogndal compared to Risdalsheia, despite increased extractable concentrations in surface soil in the south, probably attributed to different buffer mechanisms in surface soil. Antagonism on plant uptake is suggested between Ca, Mg, and K on one hand and Al on the other. Tolerance among calcifuges to acid conditions and a particular ability to detoxify or avoid uptake of Al ions are noticeable for Vaccinium vitis-idaea.
... It is capable of growing on sites contaminated by heavy metals and can be used as an indicator of their presence also in high amounts (Mikkonen and Huttunen 1981;. Bilberry is at the same time a potential indicator of soil quality thanks to its good tolerance to high amounts of some heavy metals and can be used for the efficient colonization of contaminated sites ( (Białońska et al. 2007;Kandziora-Ciupa et al. 2013; Kukla and Kuklová 2008;Reimann et al. 2001b;Salemaa et al. 2004;Sheppard 1991;Taulavuori et al. 2013). As a hyperaccumulator of manganese, it has detoxification mechanisms and shows no symptoms of phytotoxicity (Korcak 1989;Reeves 2006). ...
... Such conditions are favorable for manganese uptake. An increased Mn content in plants is to be expected also in soils with the lower Mn content (Reimann et al. 2001b). For the O-horizon with an available Mn content of 110 mg kg −1 (total content 247 mg kg −1 ), Reimann et al. (2001a) mention a value of 1900 mg kg −1 (median) for leaves from the end of the growing season. ...
In a specific area of the Krušné Hory Mts. (Ore Mountains), Czech Republic, branches and leaves of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) were collected during the growing seasons in 2010–2016 on the low-pH soil (2.77–3.62) with a high total content of manganese (490–6277 mg kg⁻¹ dwt.). Mn content in leaves occurred in a wide range (274–11,159 mg kg⁻¹) and was markedly increased during the growing season with the exception of year 2015, when the leaves dried out early due to the precipitation deficit. New leaves exhibited the Mn content corresponding to the beginning of the growing season. Mn content in branches was comparable both in the years of collection (including 2015) and in the respective growing seasons (2062–3885 mg kg⁻¹). The content of manganese in bilberry leaves was dependent on the cumulated amount of precipitation (p < 10⁻⁶; r² = 0.4962) and on the cumulated amount of water in the soil captured in lysimeters (p = 0.00003; r² = 0.4520).
Hyperaccumulation of manganese in bilberry was confirmed as well as its continuous increase during the vegetation seasons. The manganese content in leaves of bilberry showed positive correlation with soil moisture. For the assessment of bilberry condition (nutrition), the collection of samples should be made towards the end of the growing season, closely before the onset of senescence.
... The geochemical processes prevailing in surficial deposits including surface water, minerogenic and organogenic soils, as well as, the vegetation zone, were studied on the basis of data from the pilot phase (see e.g. (Reimann et al 2001a and2001b). Several other publications are still in preparation based on this same data. ...
... In Figure 5 are shown the results of (see e.g. Reimann et al 2001a and2001b). Several Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 36 Barents Ecogeochemistrya large geochemical baseline study of heavy metals and other elements ... (Salminen, Vernigora et al. 2002). ...
From 1999 to 2003 a multimedia, multipurpose regional geochemical mapping project is carried out jointly by scientists from Finland, Russia and Norway. The project area encompasses Finland, and the north-western part of Russia. It is an extension of the Kola Ecogeochemistry project (carried out 1992-1997), which documented levels and sources of up to more than 50 chemical elements including radionuclides in the central parts of the Barents Region. At the same time the data produced will be an important contribution to the IUGS/IAGC Global Geochemical Baselines Programme. An important aim of the project is to define the geochemical baselines of elements over a very large area containing several of the largest industrial emitters in Europe but also some of its most pristine areas. Another aim is to define the anthropogenic impact in relation to the natural variations in regional geochemical baselines. The study area covers 1,500,000 km2 comprising all of Finland and the NW parts of Russia, from the Barents Sea and the Ural Mountains in the North to St. Petersburg in the South. Stream sediment, stream water, terrestrial moss, humus and C-horizon soil samples are collected in 2000-2001 from 1,200 sampling sites in Russia and 300 in Finland, giving an average density of one site per 1000 km2. Samples from vegetation such as tree and shrub layer and complete soil profiles are collected from 30 special sampling sites. Monthly precipitation samples were collected during 12 months from May 2000 to June 2001 close to these special sites. During the pilot phase in 1999 the field personnel was trained and based on collected experiences the field manual (Gregorauskiene et al. 2000) was completed. During this phase a total of over 1000 samles were collected from nine catchments in Russia, Norway and Finland. The most modern analytical methods will be used to analyze the samples, and concentrations of more than 50 elements, including radionuclides, will be determined. From some of the samples PAH's and PCB's are determined, too. Results from the pilot phase are documented as Technical reports of Geological Survey of Finland (Salminen 2000), also available as CD-ROMs. Nineteen digital base maps were compiled, which cover the whole project area, describing the background information for interpretation of results. The first preliminary results of the regional phase including some anion, main element and heavy metal concentrations of stream waters from the western part of the project area are now ready. They show that the main geological features are well reflected in the geochemistry of stream waters. However, anthropogenic influence has, changed the quality of stream water in some places. The deposition from the Chernobyl accident is visible as a very strong Cs anomaly in the organic layer samples. A geochemical baseline study in the region will give authorities and other interested parties a base to assess the existing state of the environment when new economical investments are planned in NW Russia. The project carries out the Northern dimension policy of the EU. It will allow distinguishing environmental impacts due to new developments from those of an older date. New results from ecogeochemical mapping of the land areas will be compared with existing data from the sea shelf territory. This will allow estimating the influence of human activities on the continent and on the sea shelf. At the same time the environmental status of the whole region will be recorded before new large oil and gas deposits are exploited.
... It can be seen in Table 2 that there are large variations in levels of Ni and Cr in plant samples grown in background and industrial sites or surrounding sites of both Turkey and other parts of the world. Furthermore, the same study produces different levels of Ni [30,31,33] and Cr [18,19,33], which is a meaningful variation. Each of abovementioned factors affects the levels of trace elements in plants at varying extents. ...
... Other studies, however, measured higher Ni levels in similar plants [26-27, 30, 31]. Similarly, mean Cr level (1.5 mg kg -1 ) measured in the same samples was higher than those reported in similar investigations [23,24,26,31,32,34], but lower than in other studies [18,33,35]. On the other hand, the mean Ni and Cr levels were found to be close to the other results in plant samples grown in Turkey and other regions of the world as summarized in Table 2. ...
Levels of nickel and chromium in leaves of 14 plant species grown in industrial sites of Gaziantep and surrounding were examined for biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS). The plant leaf samples were collected from different locations with different degrees of metal pollution. The metal levels in the plants were in the ranges of (with mean values) 0.4-28.0 (3.1) mg kg-1 for Ni and 0.1-6.6 (1.5) mg kg-1 for Cr. On the other hand, the Ni and Cr levels in the plant leaf samples collected from control) areas were in the ranges of 0.4-2.1 (1.1) and 0.1-1.4 (0.58) mg kg-1, respectively. It was concluded that Pinus nigra L., Acacia robinia L., Platanus orientalis L., Nerium oleander L., Pyracantha coccínea M.Roem. and Populus nigra L. for Ni, Pinus nigra L., Acacia robinia L., Olea europaea L. and Nerium oleander L. for Cr could be biomonitors. Therefore, it was demonstrated that the plant leaves could be used for heavy metal air pollution monitoring in urban and industrial regions.
... It can influence the establishment of other species. Its leaf extracts are allelopathic to prohibit, for example, the establishment of Scots pine seedlings [4] . The Genus vaccinium L., which comprises approximately 450 species worldwide includes three recently domesticated crops lingonberries (V. ...
... Fertilization improved their growth in polluted soils. However, that may come at the cost of phytoextraction, visible in both field and pot pines containing elevated Al [53]. Here, the pot experiment showed that pines were the least affected by disturbance, regardless if they were inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi. ...
Ectomycorrhizal communities at young oak, pine, and birch stands in a former uranium mining site showed a low diversity of morphotypes with a preference for contact and short-distance exploration strategies formed by the fungi Russulaceae, Inocybaceae, Cortinariaceae, Thelephoraceae, Rhizopogonaceae, Tricholomataceae, as well as abundant Meliniomyces bicolor. In order to have better control over abiotic conditions, we established pot experiments with re-potted trees taken from the sites of direct investigation. This more standardized cultivation resulted in a lower diversity and decreased prominence of M. bicolor. In addition, the exploration strategies shifted to include long-distance exploration types. To mimic secondary succession with a high prevalence of fungal propagules present in the soil, inoculation of re-potted trees observed under standardized conditions for two years was used. The super-inoculation increased the effect of lower abundance and diversity of morphotypes. The contact morphotypes correlated with high Al, Cu, Fe, Sr, and U soil contents, the dark-colored short-distance exploration type did not show a specific preference for soil characteristics, and the medium fringe type with rhizomorphs on oaks correlated with total nitrogen. Thus, we could demonstrate that field trees, in a species-dependent manner, selected for ectomycorrhizal fungi with exploration types are likely to improve the plant’s tolerance to specific abiotic conditions.
... Also, some TEs compete with essential nutrients with a similar ionic ratio for exchange sites in the soil matrix and the rhizosphere. For all these reasons plants growing in contaminated soils often show some symptoms of nutritional deficiencies (Reimann et al. 2001;Mankovska et al. 2004;Jamnickà et al. 2007). Impairment of nutrient acquisition could limit the establishment of woody plants after the restoration of contaminated sites in Mediterranean environments, which are often deficient in P and N (Sardans et al. 2004;Romanyà and Vallejo 2004). ...
Iberian oak forests and woodlands are vital providing a variety of ecosystem services. They provide raw materials like cork, wood and fuel, and fodder (acorns) for wild and domestic animals. Oak trees provide a climate regulating service by their capacity to sequester carbon and therefore to mitigate the effects of climatic change. There is an increasing demand for cultural services provided by oak woodlands, mainly for recreation and ecotourism. However, some global-change drivers are negatively affecting oak forests, therefore diminishing their ecosystem services and in consequence undermining human well-being. The main drivers affecting Iberian oaks are: land use changes, introduction of exotic pathogens, air and soil pollution deteriorating oak health, and climatic change, in particular the combined reduction of rainfall and the rise in temperature.
In this chapter we focus on the ecology of Iberian oaks and how they are affected by global change. Firstly, we introduce a literature overview of the research conducted on Quercus, analysed by species, countries and topics. Secondly, we review the main biological processes related with the oak responses to global change: i) genetic diversity, climatic refuges and adaptation to climatic change; ii) ecophysiological responses to stress and disturbance, functional diversity, growth patterns, and scaling up from leaf to ecosystem; iii) demographic responses, causes of regeneration failures, spatial patterns of recruitment, drivers of decline and dieback. Thirdly, we review the management strategies in three case studies: the agro-silvo-pastoral systems (dehesas and montados), the cork oak woodlands, and the afforestation of a polluted-land for phytostabilization of contaminants.
... The mass contribution of this source category contributed 9.6 and 10.8% during summer and winter, respectively. Several studies reported tracers of this significant source category, which are generally emitted during industrial activities (Reimann et al., 2001;Simonetti et al., 2018). Overall, an increase in the percentage of mass contribution from an unidentified source to PM 2.5 concentration during winter compared to summer suggested that pollution activities (other than soil/road dust) increased substantially during winter. ...
To examine the trends of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) and its elemental constituents during two distinct seasons at a site away from the city center of Delhi and the National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR) of India, this unique study aimed at the development of source-receptor-effect linkages. This research paper presents results of occurrence, long-range transport (LRT), source apportionment, and human health impact assessment of 24 PM2.5-bound trace elements (Al, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, S, Se, Si, Te, Tl, Zn, and Zr). The concentration of PM2.5 during winter (296 ± 45 μg/m³) was significantly higher than in summer (114 ± 48 μg/m³) and exceeded 24 h Indian standard on most of the measurement days. The seasonal concentration ratios (winter/summer) of individual elements varied from 1.7 (Si) to 5.9 (Tl). The backward trajectory of air masses showed that transboundary transport of pollutants occurred in the downwind direction during winter, indicating that this remote site was affected by transported particulates and local activities. The principal component analysis–absolute principal component score (PCA-APCS) model confirmed five significant sources, vehicles (22.3%), soil/road dust (23.1%), coal combustion (20.9%), open burning (13.8%), and other industries (10.2%) responsible for particulate emission. The results from the multiple path particle dosimetry model (MPPD) showed higher deposition of particulates in the human respiratory system occurred during winter (44%) than in summer (40%). The elements with crustal sources of origin had a higher deposition fraction in the head region (0.27 for Si) compared to elements of anthropogenic sources (0.13 for Li). The excess lifetime carcinogenic risk (ELCR) under winter episodic events increased significantly at 128 × 10⁻⁶ compared to the summer non-episodic period at 41 × 10⁻⁶.
... A low demand in Ca for monocotyledons may reflect a low capacity for Ca uptake (through Ca 2+ binding sites in the cell walls; White and Broadley, 2003), storage, or management into cells. Finally, the accumulation of Si, Al, and Fe in moss and lichen tissues might be induced by the presence of local minerogenic dust deposition (Reimann et al., 2001). Overall, we observed that mineral element foliar concentrations were mostly specific to species, reflecting different vegetation uptake and storage strategies. ...
Arctic warming and permafrost degradation are modifying northern
ecosystems through changes in microtopography, soil water dynamics, nutrient
availability, and vegetation succession. Upon permafrost degradation, the
release of deep stores of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from
newly thawed permafrost stimulates Arctic vegetation production. More
specifically, wetter lowlands show an increase in sedges (as part of
graminoids), whereas drier uplands favor shrub expansion. These shifts in
the composition of vegetation may influence local mineral element cycling
through litter production. In this study, we evaluate the influence of
permafrost degradation on mineral element foliar stocks and potential annual
fluxes upon litterfall. We measured the foliar elemental composition (Al,
Ca, Fe, K, Mn, P, S, Si, and Zn) of ∼ 500 samples of typical
tundra plant species from two contrasting Alaskan tundra sites, i.e., an
experimental sedge-dominated site (Carbon in Permafrost Experimental Heating Research, CiPEHR) and natural shrub-dominated site
(Gradient). The foliar concentration of these mineral elements was species specific, with sedge leaves having relatively high Si concentration and
shrub leaves having relatively high Ca and Mn concentrations. Therefore,
changes in the species biomass composition of the Arctic tundra in response
to permafrost thaw are expected to be the main factors that dictate changes
in elemental composition of foliar stocks and maximum potential foliar
fluxes upon litterfall. We observed an increase in the mineral element
foliar stocks and potential annual litterfall fluxes, with Si increasing
with sedge expansion in wetter sites (CiPEHR), and Ca and Mn increasing with
shrub expansion in drier sites (Gradient). Consequently, we expect that
sedge and shrub expansion upon permafrost thaw will lead to changes in
litter elemental composition and therefore affect nutrient cycling across
the sub-Arctic tundra with potential implications for further vegetation
succession.
... Also, plants adopt heavy metals directly through the leaf, from the air or rainfall, even in some plant species existence of ion-exchange has been proved. When heavy metals reach the surface of the leaf, the plant adopts them through the stoma (Reimann et al., 2001). Heavy metals are generally poorly mobile in plants, and their content in root is much higher than in the above-ground parts. ...
The aim of this research was to determine the concentration of lead, copper, cadmium, zinc in the
soil of different pH, as well as the degree of pollution, and impact of soil contamination on the
concentration of heavy metals in vegetables. Stationary research was conducted in 2018 at the
Faculty of Technology in Tuzla. The input of heavy metals into vegetables can be monitored with
the known content of nutrients in the soil, including cations and anions, dry matter content,
moisture, acidity expressed as pH, etc. Soil for monitoring was taken from a plot where various
vegetable crops for organic agricultural production are grown. One part of the soil was used for
monitoring the intake of natural content, and the second with the increased content of metals in
the soil (samples in containers). After the analyzes were carried out, soil contamination has been
done with mentioned heavy metals in trace. Contamination was perform by adding metals
solution to the soil, which were prepared with chemicals high cleanliness. Using Al2 (SO4)3, pH
of the soil was reduced from 7.5 -7.6 to 5.8 -6.1, in 18 containers for natural content and 18
containers for increased metal content. After adjusting the acidity, the adjustment of the natural
soil parameters was made so that six experiments with different conditions for observing the input
of heavy metals into three cultures were obtained.The concentrations of heavy metals in soil and
vegetables were measured on the atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Analyst 200) and on an
inductively coupled plasma by the ICP-OES optical emission method (Optima 2100 DV), by an
electroanalytic method of differential pulse anodic striping voltammetry (Differential Pulse
Anodic Stripping Voltammetry, DPASV), and standard analytical procedures.
... Micromorphology of plant leaves is another parameter that showed the anomaly of surface architectural pattern under air pollution stress (Prasad & Rao, 1981;Verma & Singh, 2006;Joshi & Swami, 2007) after biochemical changes (Tripathi et al., 2009). Particulate matters enter into the plant leaves through stomata, diminishing their resistance to any biotic or abiotic stress (Shanker et al., 2005) and affecting on overall yield (Reimann et al., 2001). The tolerant are those that could adsorb, detoxify, and translocate the PMs efficiently; on the other hand, the plants that are unable to do that work precisely are known as sensitive to air pollution (Agbaire & Esiefarienrhe, 2009). ...
Spatial assimilation and the dynamicity of urban land use are significant issues in the study of modern towns and cities. Many studies have been conducted to monitor urban land use and sprawl of metropolitan cities or other big cities in India and other countries. But the same kinds of studies conducted for small and medium towns/cities are lesser in number. In this chapter, supervised image classification technique with maximum likelihood classifier algorithm has been applied to estimate the land use/land cover (LULC) change over two time periods using ERDAS imagine (v.14). For assessing the supervised classification technique’s accuracy, confusion or error matrix and kappa coefficient (K) have been applied. A conversion map has been generated from the classified image pairs to measure the quantitative characteristic of changes. Shannon entropy method has been used to find out the urban sprawls. The result of this analysis indicates that the built-up increased significantly from 32.86 km2 in 1990 to 61.16 km2 in 2019 in Siliguri (UA), and for Raiganj (UA), it increased from 4.76 km2 in 1991 to 22.41 km2 in 2019, resulting in a loss in prime agricultural land, fallow land, and vegetation. Shannon entropy has provided excellent assistance for quantifying the sprawling mechanism in both areas to obtain the result. The findings of this chapter may help planners and policymakers guiding urban land management in the context of rapid conversion, as seen in the recent past.KeywordsLand use/coverChange detectionUrban sprawlRemote sensing and GIS
... Micromorphology of plant leaves is another parameter that showed the anomaly of surface architectural pattern under air pollution stress (Prasad & Rao, 1981;Verma & Singh, 2006;Joshi & Swami, 2007) after biochemical changes (Tripathi et al., 2009). Particulate matters enter into the plant leaves through stomata, diminishing their resistance to any biotic or abiotic stress (Shanker et al., 2005) and affecting on overall yield (Reimann et al., 2001). The tolerant are those that could adsorb, detoxify, and translocate the PMs efficiently; on the other hand, the plants that are unable to do that work precisely are known as sensitive to air pollution (Agbaire & Esiefarienrhe, 2009). ...
Land deterioration affects cropland and land suitability throughout the globe and is one of the forces that lead to the harming of land richness, thus resulting in meager productivity, caused by both natural as well as anthropogenic factors. Deterioration of crop areas by land abrasion is a global encounter prompting deprivation of supplement-intense surface soil, enhanced effluents from more impervious lands, thus less availability of water flora, and also leads to other calamities such as landslides. That one may examine the aftermath of this very issue, the demand of the hour is to comprehend the reasons, effects, and seriousness of this issue. Researchers, and environmentalists all over the world, are creating strategies for evaluation. Ground appraisals, professional assessments, object notations, end user’s judgments, aptness acclimation, remote sensing, and modeling methods are some of the ways to approach this issue. In this study, RUSLE was used to generate a soil erosion map of the study area. Five years of mean yearlong information is used for the computation of the annual rainfall factor. The soil survey was done by the NBSS & LUP, and parameters such as sand, silt, clay, and organic matter content were taken into consideration to generate the K factor. Likewise, to generate the value of LS factor, a DEM was used. To generate the cover factor values, NDVI was used in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. All these factors were generated in the GIS environment to obtain the results. The erosion maps achieved were categorized into slight (0–5 t/h/year), moderate (5–10 t/h/year), high (10–20 t/h/year), very high (20–40 t/h/year), severe (40–80 t/h/year), and very severe (>80 t/h/year). The map thus generated will serve as a tool for planners for proper conservation practices in the area.
... Micromorphology of plant leaves is another parameter that showed the anomaly of surface architectural pattern under air pollution stress (Prasad & Rao, 1981;Verma & Singh, 2006;Joshi & Swami, 2007) after biochemical changes (Tripathi et al., 2009). Particulate matters enter into the plant leaves through stomata, diminishing their resistance to any biotic or abiotic stress (Shanker et al., 2005) and affecting on overall yield (Reimann et al., 2001). The tolerant are those that could adsorb, detoxify, and translocate the PMs efficiently; on the other hand, the plants that are unable to do that work precisely are known as sensitive to air pollution (Agbaire & Esiefarienrhe, 2009). ...
In analyzing the Earth’s surface pattern, geochronology, natural resources, natural hazards and landscape growth Anthropogeomorphological mapping has played an important role. It includes dividing the field into metaphysical space entities that use criteria such as morphology (form), genetics (process), shape and function, chronology, correlations between the biophysical environment (land cover, soils, ecology), and spatial and topological connections between surface characteristics (landforms). This chapter explores the importance of geospatial technologies in Anthropogeomorphology and its use of different ways for the study of geomorphology and human involvement. Instead of seeking to cover wider areas of GIS-based scientific research, this chapter focuses on geomorphological problems and knowledge criteria dictating application creation and refinement. It also illustrates the relevance of the shortcomings of perception with regard to depiction, size, measurement and remote sensing.Keywords
Anthropogeomorphology
LandformRemote sensingGIS
... Micromorphology of plant leaves is another parameter that showed the anomaly of surface architectural pattern under air pollution stress (Prasad & Rao, 1981;Verma & Singh, 2006;Joshi & Swami, 2007) after biochemical changes (Tripathi et al., 2009). Particulate matters enter into the plant leaves through stomata, diminishing their resistance to any biotic or abiotic stress (Shanker et al., 2005) and affecting on overall yield (Reimann et al., 2001). The tolerant are those that could adsorb, detoxify, and translocate the PMs efficiently; on the other hand, the plants that are unable to do that work precisely are known as sensitive to air pollution (Agbaire & Esiefarienrhe, 2009). ...
... An important diagnostic tool for estimating metal bioavailability, and toxic concentration, is plant uptake bioassay. Plant species differ significantly in Ni uptake capacity and distribution (Altinözlü et al., 2012;Grubinger et al., 1994;Licina et al., 2010;Reimann et al., 2001;Uren, 1992). By considering plant reaction when exposed to elevated levels of heavy metals, some plants accumulate heavy metals (e.g. ...
Nickel bearing soils derived from serpentinized ultramafic rocks are widely exposed as two parallel zones in Bavanat region along the Sedimentary Zagros Orogenic (SZO) and Metamorphic Sanandaj-Sirjan (MSS) belts. These laterites in the Mazayejan area of the Northern zone are divided into two groups; the in situ soils found mainly in the east, and the transported soils which are common in the west of the study area. The maximum Ni concentration of the studied soils is 1787 μg g⁻¹. The main vegetation types of the area include open shrub lands and semi-desert steppes. Many soil characteristics in the study area are quite variable, such as Mg/Ca ratio, exchangeable metal fraction, extraction efficiency (EF), pH, organic content (OM), texture, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) as well as seasonal variation of Ni availability and metal transfer to plants. This study indicated that low Mg/Ca ratio (0.1–2.3 μg g⁻¹), high carbonate content (up to 42.8 wt%) and very low exchangeable Ni fraction (0.01–0.34 μg g⁻¹) result in low uptake of nickel by plants. Low EF, but high pH and OM result in Ni fixation in the soils, and consequently low Ni transfer factor to plants. Clay textured soils with high CEC (10.5 wt%) are characterized by the lowest transfer coefficient of Ni from soil to plant, due to the stronger adsorption of Ni in the soils. Ni concentration in living tissues change with the season, the leaves of the same plants investigated in autumn contain more Ni than in spring. As a result, plant sampling in autumn should be preferred for nickel exploration when using biogeochemical and other methods such as Ni phytoextraction, by selected plants.
... The highest sensitivity of POSS-amide-Py toward Co(II) cations can be explained by low steric hindrance and easy accessibility to amide groups in side chains around the POSS core. Cobalt is among the essential trace elements and plays a crucial role in biological systems [82], but it is toxic at a high level [83], and thus, sensitive methods of its detection are needed. Compounds containing amide, amine and carboxyl groups were proposed as possible molecular colorimetric or fluorescent probes based on photoinduced electron transfer (PET) or chelation-enhanced fluorescence due to their ability to coordinate Co(II) [84,85]. ...
Hybrid polymers containing pyrene (Py) units bound to linear poly(silsesquioxane) (LPSQ) chains through flexible linkers containing heteroatoms (S, N, O) (LPSQ-triazole-Py and LPSQ-amide-Py) exhibit intense fluorescence emission, both in very diluted solutions (c = 10−8 mol/L) and in the solid state. The materials are thermally stable and exhibit good thin film forming abilities. Their optical and physicochemical properties were found to be strongly dependent on the structure of the side chains. Comparative studies with octahedral silsesquioxane (POSS) analogues (POSS-triazole-Py and POSS-amide-Py) emphasized the role of the specific double-strand architecture of the LPSQ backbone and distribution of side Py groups for their photo-luminescent properties. The new hybrid materials were tested as fluorescence energy donors to red-emitting dyes (Nile Red and Coumarine 6). All the silsesquioxanes studied were found to be able to transfer FL emission energy to Coumarin 6, irrespectively of their spatial structure. However, due to the differences in the wavelength range of FL emission, only LPSQ-triazole-Py were able to act as energy donors to Nile Red. The Py-grafted LPSQ may be also applied for development of soluble and highly emissive chemosensors. Their fluorescent nature was explored for the detection of Cu(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ag(I), Hg(II), Mg(II), Ca(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II). The morphology of the side chains and hydrogen-bonding interactions influenced the sensing capacity of all the studied materials.
... Выбросы промышленных предприятий могут значительно изменить условия произрастания растения. Так, в результате длительного воздействия выбросов медно-никелевого комбината «Североникель» -крупнейшего на севере Европы источника выбросов SO 2 и тяжелых металлов -, условия для роста растений в его окрестностях стали экстремальными: в атмосфере значительно повышены концентрации SO 2 и техногенной пыли с высоким содержанием тяжелых металлов (Kashulina et al., 2014), концентрации основных металлов загрязнителей Ni и Cu в почвах в тысячу и более раз превысили фоновые значения (Reimann et al., 2001;Кашулина, 2018). Изучение растений, произрастающих в локальной зоне (ЛЗ) воздействия выбросов этого предприятия, предоставляет уникальную возможность выявить особенности формирования химического состава растений в экстремальных условиях. ...
... Also, plants adopt heavy metals directly through the leaf, from the air or rainfall, even in some plant species existence of ion-exchange has been proved. When heavy metals reach the surface of the leaf, the plant adopts them through the stoma (Reimann et al., 2001). Heavy metals are generally poorly mobile in plants, and their content in root is much higher than in the above-ground parts. ...
The aim of this research was to determine the concentration of lead, copper, cadmium, zinc in the soil of different pH, as well as the degree of pollution, and impact of soil contamination on the concentration of heavy metals in vegetables. Stationary research was conducted in 2018 at the Faculty of Technology in Tuzla. The input of heavy metals into vegetables can be monitored with the known content of nutrients in the soil, including cations and anions, dry matter content, moisture, acidity expressed as pH, etc. Soil for monitoring was taken from a plot where various vegetable crops for organic agricultural production are grown. One part of the soil was used for monitoring the intake of natural content, and the second with the increased content of metals in the soil (samples in containers). After the analyzes were carried out, soil contamination has been done with mentioned heavy metals in trace. Contamination was perform by adding metals
solution to the soil, which were prepared with chemicals high cleanliness. Using Al2 (SO4)3, pH of the soil was reduced from 7.5 -7.6 to 5.8 -6.1, in 18 containers for natural content and 18 containers for increased metal content. After adjusting the acidity, the adjustment of the natural soil parameters was made so that six experiments with different conditions for observing the input of heavy metals into three cultures were obtained.The concentrations of heavy metals in soil and vegetables were measured on the atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Analyst 200) and on an inductively coupled plasma by the ICP-OES optical emission method (Optima 2100 DV), by an electroanalytic method of differential pulse anodic striping voltammetry (Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry, DPASV), and standard analytical procedures.
... In this scenario biota and humans are exposed to metal mixtures (15,16,20,21). For example, in the smelter town of Torreon in Mexico (21), in the area closest to the lead smelter, 77% of the studied children had lead levels higher than 20 µg/dL [reference guideline: 10 µg/dL (22)], with a median arsenic concentration in urine of 123.9 µg/L [reference guideline: 50 µg/g creatinine (23)]. ...
... The deepest soil horizons, e.g. C horizon, are mainly influenced by the bedrock chemistry (Reimann et al. 2001). Soil, especially the upper horizons, can be successfully used as medium for fingerprinting the influence level of the main Pb sources (Galuskova et al. 2014;Morton-Bermea et al. 2011;Reimann et al. 2012), but, because of its long-term accumulation of elements, it is not useful for the tracing of recent pollution sources. ...
This study is a continuation of our preceding research identifying suitable environmental samples for the tracing of atmospheric pollution in industrial areas. Three additional types of environmental samples were used to characterise contamination sources in the industrial area of Ostrava city, Czech Republic. The region is known for its extensive metallurgical and mining activities. Fingerprinting of stable Pb isotopes was applied to distinguish individual sources of anthropogenic Pb. A wide range of ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios was observed in the investigated samples: ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb = 1.168–1.198 in mosses; ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb = 1.167–1.215 in soils and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb = 1.158–1.184 in tree cores. Black and brown coal combustion, as well as metallurgical activities, is the two main sources of pollution in the area. Fossil fuel burning in industry and households seems to be a stronger source of Pb emissions than from the metallurgical industry. Concentration analyses of tree rings showed that a significant increase in As concentrations occurred between 1999 and 2016 (from 0.38 mg kg⁻¹ to 13.8 mg kg⁻¹). This shift corresponds to the use of brown coal from Bílina, Czech Republic, with an increased As concentration. The burning of low-quality fuels in households remains a problem in the area, as small ground sources have a greater influence on the air quality than do industrial sources.
... The species selectivity of HM accumulation by plants is most manifested for different species of herbaceous plants growing under similar conditions (stations 8a, However, the high concentration of Pb in reed can be unrelated to the environmental pollution with this element. The changes in the chemical composition of plants under the effect of the bioclimatic factor (latitude of the area) exclude the existence of a common standard background concentration for all plants (Reimann et al. 2001). ...
Purpose
The aim of this work was to study the level and degree of mobility of heavy metals in the soil–plant system and to perform bioindication observations in the Don River estuarine region and the Russian sector of the Taganrog Bay coast.
Materials and methods
The objects of the study included samples of zonal soils (chernozem) and intrazonal soils (alluvial meadow and alluvial-stratified soils, Solonchak, sandy primitive soil) from monitoring stations of the Don river estuarine region and the Taganrog Bay coast, as well as their higher plants: Phragmites australis Cav., Typha angustifolia L., Carex riparia Curtis, Cichorium intybus L., Bolboschoenus maritimus L. Palla, and Rumex confertus Willd. The total concentrations of Mn, Ni, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cr in the soils were determined by X-ray fluorescent scanning spectrometer. The concentration of heavy metal mobile forms exchangeable, complex compounds, and acid-soluble metal were extracted using the following reagents: 1 N NH4Ac, pH 4.8; 1 % EDTA in NH4Ac, pH 4.8; 1 N HCl, respectively. Heavy metals in plants were prepared for analysis by dry combustion at 450 °C. The heavy metal concentration in extracts from plants and soils was determined by AAS.
Results and discussion
The total contents of heavy metals in the soil may be described with a successively decreasing series: Mn > Cr > Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb > As > Cd. The total concentrations of As, Cd, and Zn in the soil exceed the maximum permissible concentrations levels. Contamination of alluvial soils in the estuarine zone with mobile Сu, Zn, Pb, and Cd has been revealed, which is confirmed by the high bioavailability of Cu and Zn and, to a lesser degree, Cd and Pb accumulating in the tissues of macrophytic plants. Data on the translocation of elements to plant organs have showed their predominant accumulation in the roots. Bioindication by the morphofunctional parameters of macrophytic plants (with a Typha L. species as an example) can be used for revealing the existence of impact zones with elevated contents of metals in aquatic ecosystems.
Conclusions
The results revealed that increased content of Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, and As in soil have anthropogenic sources. The high content of Cr in the soils is related to the lithogenic factor and, hence, has a natural source.
... That is why cadmium and lead compounds are able to spread for hundreds of kilometers from the pollution source (Dunlap et al. 1999). The ability of Pinus genus plants to accumulate in the needle microelements, including metals, in fairly large amounts, accounts for extensive use of this arboreal species as a bio-indicator when evaluating territory pollution with toxic microelements (Lombardo et al. 2001;Reimann et al. 2001;Rautio and Huttunen 2003;Lehndorff and Schwark 2008). ...
The present study used multivariate techniques, to analyze the fish species diversity and distribution patterns in order to determine the possible role of environmental parameters as drivers of fish community structure and composition in the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE). This analysis was conducted using data obtained in the YRE from February 2012 to December 2014. Analysis of the catch data showed that species composition, total density, and total biomass varied significantly between stations and seasons. Thirty-eight species belonging to 18 families were collected. Sciaenidae was the most dominant family accounting for 40.8% of total captured specimens. In descending order, Collichthys lucidus, Cynoglossus gracilis, Chaeturichthys stigmatias, and Lophiogobius ocellicauda dominated catches in the YRE. These four species constituted 64.2% of the total catches and showed average dissimilarities of 74.19% between stations and 81.3% between months. The highest number of fish specimens captured was recorded in August 2012 while the highest species richness was observed in December 2013. The mean fish density and biomass for the YRE was 0.35 individuals/m² and 2.5 g/m², respectively. The mean density and biomass for the most important and dominant species changed significantly between stations and seasons. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that salinity and chlorophyll-a were the key variables that structured the fish assemblage in the YRE. High total species density and biomass were recorded in high saline stations (North Branch) of the YRE. This study confirms that most species captured in the YRE needs estuarine conditions to complete their growth and development. Hence, the findings in this study are important to understanding and developing suitable conservation plans for the management of fish resources in the YRE.
... Due to the potential of high environmental risks and effects from heavy metal exposure, metals have been the focus of several studies over the last decade. Plants absorb these metals either from soil via the roots or deposition onto leaves from air; some heavy metals accumulated on the surface of the leaves can be absorbed into the leaves through stomas (Reimann et al. 2001;Onder and Dursun 2006). Plants react against these heavy metal (and other) stressors through many biochemical and physiological mechanisms (Mutlu et al. 2009). ...
In this study, some physiological and biochemical parameters related to oxidative stress and the concentration of heavy metals were analyzed in leaves of pine trees (Pinus sylvestris L.) collected from regions suspected of air pollution. Leaves were collected from plants at five different locations near Erzincan, Turkey including the city center and a control area. All leaves were divided into two main parts after a washing procedure. After all pre-procedures in the laboratory, heavy metal analysis was conducted using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Data were analyzed statistically, and significant differences were found for plants collected among the different locations. Additionally, electrolyte leakage and physiological parameters such as lipid peroxidation, H2O2 content, chlorophyll content, and activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase were determined as indicators of plant cell stress. Results indicated significant differences between plants at experimental locations vs. the control area in terms of stress parameters; these differences were associated with heavy metal concentrations in plants.
... Acclimatization of plants to air pollutants might change their morphological structure such as thicker epidermal cells and longer trichomes (Rangkuti, 2003). Once deposited on the leaf surface some elements may be taken up into the leaf via the stomata (Reimann et al., 2001) affecting the overall plant development and reducing the resistance of plants to drought, frost, insect and fungi (Shanker et al., 2005). ...
Air pollution is one of the serious problems world is facing in recent Anthropocene era of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Specifically particulate matter (PM) pollution represents a threat to both the environment and human health. The changed ambient environment due to the PM pollutant in urban areas has exerted a profound influence on the morphological, biochemical and physiological status of plants and its responses. Taking into account the characteristics of the vegetation (wide distribution, greater contact area etc.) it turns out to be an effective indicator of the overall impact of PM pollution and harmful effects of PM pollution on vegetation have been reviewed in the present paper, covering an extensive span of 1960 to March 2016. The present review critically describes the impact of PM pollution and its constituents (e.g. heavy metals and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons) on the morphological attributes such as leaf area, leaf number, stomata structure, flowering, growth and reproduction as well as biochemical parameters such as pigment content, enzymes, ascorbic acid, protein, sugar and physiological aspect such as pH and Relative water content. Further, the paper provides a brief overview on the impact of PM on biodiversity and climate change. Moreover, the review emphasizes the genotoxic impacts of PM on plants. Finally, on the basis of such studies tolerant plants as potent biomonitors with high Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Air Pollution Index (API) can be screened and may be recommended for green belt development.
... However, comparing the Cd accumulation ratio values, it could be concluded that in general the tree species (S. caprea and B. pendula) exhibit a higher ratio than that of R. idaeus. This confirms the findings of reimann et al. [32] who reported that trees show a much higher concentration of Cd in leaves compared to shrub species. ...
Concentrations of the heavy metals Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Mn, Zn and Fe in soils of uranium-bearing dumps (Sudety Mts. SW Poland, the dumps containing a high proportion of polymetallic minerals), as well as in two tree species (Salix caprea L., Betula pendula Roth.) and a shrub (Rubus idaeus L.), which frequently occur in this area, in spite of being disturbed by mining activities in the past. The accumulation ratio values of heavy metals were calculated. It was revealed that all the species examined, especially the tree species, accumulated high concentrations of heavy metals, above the average values given for plants in literature. R. idaeus generally exhibited the lowest concentrations of heavy metals except Mn, while S. caprea accumulated the highest levels of Cd exhibiting the greatest accumulation capability for this metal within all the examined dumps. There is a potential of using the examined plants in the monitoring of heavy metals in the environment on the basis of a significant correlation between heavy metal content of foliage and soil.
... Plants can absorb trace elements through their roots from soil and are then transported to the leaves; also they may be taken up from the air, or by precipitation directly via the leaves. Once deposited on the leaf surface some elements may also be taken up into the leaf via the stomata (Reimann, et al. 2001). ...
This work illustrates the interest of the use of flora species to detect the air pollution by heavy metals from road and vehicle in the town of Mascara (north-west of Algeria). The (Platanus acerifolia.Wild) leaves were tested as a possible biomonitor of heavy metals pollution; they are taken from different locations with different degrees of metal pollution (urban roadside and control site). Then, the concentrations of lead, zinc, copper, nickel and chromium were measured using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results showed that the highest and the lowest metal concentration were found in the heavy traffic sites and the control site, respectively. However, the Zn, Pb, Cu, and Ni are generally higher than Cr in all samples taken from roadside sites. The mean values of Zn, Ni, Pb, Cu, and Cr are 292.20, 3.45, 2.55, 1.90, 1.05 ppm respectively. In regard to the results of this study, the trees' leaves can be applied to monitor the pollution by heavy metals in urban atmosphere.
... In addition, it is a significant environmental pollutant. On the other hand, cobalt deficiency in the human body may also lead to a pathological condition [10]. Therefore, a highly sensitive and selective analytical method to detect cobalt(II) ions is of great importance to avoid these toxic effects. ...
Nutrient and trace element concentrations in leaves and branches of poplar (Populus alba L.) have been studied two years after the Aznalcóllar mine spill. The soils of the Guadiamar channel (where poplar was sampled) were still greatly polluted by trace elements, due in part to the difficulty for cleaning up these particular sites. However, nutrient contents (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) of the plants were not affected by the soil pollution. Sulphur content was high in the affected trees, however, the concentrations were not toxic for the physiology of the plant. In general, As, Cd, Pb and Tl contents were in the normal range for plants and did not reach phytotoxic levels. Only Zn could be somewhat excessive for some particular trees. Although trace element contents do not seem to be worrying for white poplar, a continuous monitorization is advisable.
In this manuscript, we present a chemosensor 4-methyl-2,6-bis-[(2-pyridin-2-yl-ethylimino)-methyl]-phenol (Hmpye) for selective detection of Zn2+ and Co2+ from 100% aqueous medium. The active component of the sensor is the Schiff base...
Atmospheric pollution is one of the vital issues since last 10 decades due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. Among all the air pollutants, particulate matter (PM) is one of the major hazardous pollutants to both human and plant health. The significant variation noted in the ambient atmosphere because of particulate matter load in urban region has a great impact on the morphological, biochemical and physiological nature of plants and its responses. The present chapter reviews about the significant impact of PM pollution on vegetation and other plant species by taking the specific sections into consideration like morphological characteristics as leaf area, leaf number, stomata structure, flowering, growth and reproduction and some biochemical parameters like pigment content, enzymes, ascorbic acid, protein, sugar and physiological parameters such as pH and relative water content. Moreover, the role of plant species in biomonitoring studies to evaluate the tolerance and sensitivity will further help in greenbelt development and landscape planning.KeywordsPlant speciesParticulate matterMorphologyPhysiology and biomonitoring
Agriculture is main source of food and contributes either directly or indirectly to food production. Food security is as important as any other resource management. Unplanned and uncontrolled discharge of atmospheric contaminants is threatening crops’ health and yield. This chapter enlists the qualitative and quantitative threats to agricultural crops caused by atmospheric primary and secondary pollutants such as particulates, sulfur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and ozone (O3). The detrimental effects of these pollutants depend on the concentration and dose, which has acute or chronic effects on the quality and yield of certain crops. Plants may undergo biochemical and physiological modifications at cellular level and as a whole plant as a response of unwanted absorption of gases and chemicals. Air pollutants generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which harmfully affect the biochemical processes of plants. This results in lower tolerance capacity of plants to other kinds of stresses too. Likewise, physiological processes, most importantly photosynthetic CO2 fixation and energy metabolism, suffer negatively by air pollutants. In brief, food security is threatened by air pollution.KeywordsAgricultural cropsAir pollutionSulfur dioxideOxides of nitrogenOzone
Suspended particulate matter (SPM) is considered as the main air pollutant along with other gaseous pollutants like SO2, NOx, CO2, CO, etc. Total suspended particulate matter (TSP) ranges between 0.01 and 100μm, in which <10μm are inhalable suspended particulate matter (ISPM) and <2.5μm are known as respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM). Their distribution and concentration over spatio-temporal basis depend on various environmental factors like point source, regional topography, wind velocity, wind direction, solar radiation, humidity, precipitation, etc. Its intensity plays an adverse role on the surrounding living beings. In this study, the Durgapur industrial region has been divided into nine different experimental sites for measurement of particulate matter depending on the basis of preliminary field survey before investigation. The outcome of the research is reflected in the site-wise variation of SPM and their effect on vegetation. This type of particulate matter variation would also have its impact on the physiological, biochemical, and micromorphological characteristic response of the surrounding vegetational community. In this study, a pictorial model for SPM at nine different study sites was also prepared using Quantum-Geographic Information System (Q-GIS) software. The Q-GIS-derived model pictures have reflected the spatial variation of ambient SPM load of Durgapur industrial town and adjoining areas. Depending upon these visual modeling of different SPM data and their spatial variation for three consecutive years, a suitable strategy could be formulated to ameliorate the air pollution problem. So far no systematic spatial study on SPM monitoring with Q-GIS approach was reported from Durgapur, hence this Q-GIS-derived pictorial model would also provide the proper strategies to mitigate the air pollution problem.
Understanding the ecological dynamics of diverse plants, microbes, soils, and climates and their involvement in phytoremediation of polluted soils requires an examination of plant roots and the diversity of soil microbiota, such as their related bacteria, fungi, and microfauna. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs) are a kind of fungus that forms symbiotic connections with plant roots and acts as a biofertilizer, bioprotectant, and biodegrader. Although their potential involvement in phytoremediation of heavy metals (HM) soils and water is evident, the biological dynamics of plant-microbe-soil interactions as consortia in contaminated soil remediation must be completely explored. Multidisciplinary study utilizing genetics, biochemical, and physiological aspects are required to investigate these microbial multitrophic relationships. Microbial biotechnology research and development should be included into HM contaminated soil habitat restoration efforts. This review emphasizes the ecological complexities, and it is important to understand the ecological dynamics of different plants, microbes, soils, and climates, as well as their role in phytoremediation of polluted soils, by analyzing plant roots and the variety of soil microbiota, such as their related bacteria, fungi, and microfauna. AMFs are common fungus that form symbiotic relationships with plant roots and act as biofertilizers, bioprotectants, and biodegraders. Their potential role in phytoremediation of heavy metal (HM) soils and water is obvious, but the biological dynamics of plant-microbe-soil interactions must be fully recognized and investigated as consortia in contaminated soil remediation. These microbial multitrophic relationships merit interdisciplinary investigation utilizing molecular, biochemical, and physiological methods. Activities for restoring heavy metal contaminated soil habitats should include microbial biotechnology research and development. This review emphasizes the ecological complexity and diversity of plant-microbe combinations, particularly AM and soil. It also provides an overview of recent developments in this field by discussing the role of AMF in the restoration of soil contaminated with heavy metals, radionucleides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and other contaminants, i.e., Mycorrhizoremediation.
The genus Empetrum (Ericaceae) is controversially classified taxonomically. It is conservatively treated as comprising one variable widespread circumboreal/circumarctic species, E. nigrum, usually known as black crowberry (although there are other fruit colors), and a comparatively localized circumantarctic species, E. rubrum, called red crowberry. For millennia in the Northern Hemisphere crowberries have been a valuable source of berries for Indigenous Peoples, and indeed Empetrum is one of the most important berry crops of the Arctic. It has recently begun to be marketed as a commercial processed fruit crop, with increasing evidence of possessing phenolic compounds of high value for nutrition and medicine. Ecologically, Empetrum is a keystone species, sustaining numerous birds and mammals, and dominating many tundra and heathland ecosystems through allelopathic toxins that exclude competitive plants. With climate change expected to greatly alter the northern world in the near future, there is considerable concern about the welfare of Empetrum.
Životna sredina lukavačkog područja je nekoliko decenija izložena negativnom utjecaju visokih emisija prašine, teških metala i ostalih polutanata emitovanih iz industrijskih postrojenja. Teški metali se nalaze na drugom mjestu (iza pesticida) zbog posljedica koje izazivaju. Mogu ispoljiti štetan utjecaj na zdravlje ljudi zbog korištenja hrane spravljene od biljaka uzgojenih na kontaminiranom području. Biljni materijal koji je korišten za laboratorijsku analizu prikupljen je sa tri lokaliteta na lukavačkom području. Analiziran je sadržaj hroma (Cr), nikla (Ni), olova (Pb), kadmija (Cd), bakra (Cu), cinka (Zn), kobalta (Co) i mangana (Mn). Provedena istraživanja su pokazala da su ispitivane biljne vrste lukavačkog područja znatno kontaminirane teškim metalima. Stoga je veoma važno da se preduzmu odgovarajuće mjere kako bi se kontaminacija teškim metalima smanjila te izbjegli njihovi štetni efekti na okoliš, a posebno na čovjeka. Ključne riječi: teški metali, biljke, kontaminacija Uvod Životna sredina lukavačkog područja je nekoliko decenija izložena negativnom utjecaju visokih emisija prašine, teških metala i ostalih polutanata emitovanih iz industrijskih postrojenja. Atmosfera je jedan od medija transporta teških metala na velike udaljenosti iz različitih izvora. Tla mogu biti udaljena i po stotinjak i više kilometara od izvora zagađenja, a da ipak postanu zagađena zbog neprestanog taloženja i nakupljanja teških metala (Bowen, 1979). Povećani sadržaj teških metala u tlu uzrokuje intenzivnije nakupljanje u određenim vrstama povrća te populacijama nekih kosmopolitskih biljnih vrsta (Goletić, 1998; 1999; 2001; Goletić i Redžić, 2003; Goletić, 2005). Kontaminacije ekosistema može imati negativan utjecaj na biljne proizvode. Biljke su najosjetljivije na industrijska zagađenja upravo zbog apsorpcije i akumulacije teških metala te se zbog toga uspješno koriste kao indikatori procjene onečišćenja životne sredine i uspostavu adekvatnog biomonitoringa. Ukoliko teški metali putem padavina dospiju na površinu lista, biljke ih tada usvajaju direktno preko stoma (Reimann i sur. 2001; Lokeshwari i Chandrappa, 2006). Prema podacima koje navode Weber
Introduction: The term heavy metals imply all metals of specific density greater than 5 g/cm 3. Anthropogenic emissions of heavy metals affect the ongoing pollution of the Tuzla area. Cultivated plants acquire large amounts of heavy metals and therefore there is a real possibility of their involvement in the food chain. Goals: The basic objective of this paper is to determine the content and dynamics of heavy metals: cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in the fruit and leaves of plum (Prunus domestica L.) in the Tuzla area in order to obtain information about their impact on the environment. Materials and methods: Research consisted of fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Plant material was sampled at nine sites in the Tuzla area and prepared for chemical analysis of heavy metals. The content of heavy metals: chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), in solutions of plant material samples was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS method), with the instrument "Perkin-Elmer" 3110 and graphite cuvette "Perkin-Elmer" HGA-440. Determination of heavy metals was carried out according to ASTM-E 1812-96 standard. Results: The determined values of cadmium and copper content in plum leaves were higher than the natural content for plants in non-polluted environments in most localities. Cadmium concentration in the fruit of plum on most sites exceeded natural values of 0.8 mg/kg. The content of zinc in the fruit of plum at all locations was within the limits of the average value. In plum leaves the identified concentrations at the site of Donji Bistarac were 2.5 times higher than the average value which is 30 mg/kg. The highest concentration of chromium in leaves of plum was found at the site Donji Bistarac (2.25 mg/kg), and lowest at the site Donji Pasci. Plum fruit has a much smaller amount of the mentioned metal than a leaf, except at the site Donji Pasci where the determined values were 3 times higher than the average. Conclusion: The highest concentrations of heavy metals were found on sites that are located near industrial plants. Therefore, in the industrial-urban areas there should be provided continuous monitoring of heavy metals content in order to produce healthy food and improve the quality of life of people.
The Murmansk region is an industrially developed area of the Russian Far North. The largest industrial sector is represented by nonferrous metallurgy operations that have a significant negative impact on the environment. The main pollutants of the operations are metals such as Ni and Cu. The purpose of this study was to analyze soil pollution by heavy metals in the cities of Murmansk region subjected to various anthropogenic loads (Apatity, Murmansk, Monchegorsk, Nickel Village).
Ericaceous dwarf shrubs, such as bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, have an important role in nutrient cycling of boreal forests, but in metal polluted environments they also form a link between heavy metal pool of the soil, primary consumers and upper trophic levels. From the viewpoint of metal transfer in a food chain, we document metallic element (As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn) concentrations in leaves, berries and herbivorous larvae of V. myrtillus around a Finnish copper-nickel smelter and compare those with levels in relatively unpolluted reference sites, and with levels documented in soil and feces (a proxy of dietary levels) of an insectivorous bird, the pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca. Herbivorous larvae of the autumnal moth, Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), grown experimentally on V. myrtillus, showed slower growth rate but not higher mortality in the polluted area. In general, metal levels in leaves, berries and larvae were higher in the polluted area and comparable to those reported at other smelter sites in Europe. The levels of the main toxic metals (As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb) followed the general pattern: soil > bird feces > leaves > larvae = berries, and levels in V. myrtillus, E. autumnata and F. hypoleuca reflected soil metal levels. The lowest levels were found in those matrices that are most important sources of food for birds and humans, i.e. leaf-eating larvae and berries, reducing a risk of toxic effects.
Changes in environmental pollution by S, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in 2006–2014 were evaluated using a bioindication method. This method was based on measurements of pollutants in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles. The measurements were performed in the Chojnowskie Forests, a region recognized as a background area for central Poland. The changes in the contents of sulfur (S) and metals in needles were not comparable with the changes in the global emissions of the pollutants in Poland. On average, the pollution level in the study area decreased by 9.9% for S, 61.4% for Pb, 22.5% for Cd, 11.7% for Zn and 10.4% for Cu. During the same period, global emissions in Poland decreased by 38.1% for S, 8.0% for Pb, 63.2% for Cd, 11.7% for Zn and 14.0% for Cu. Therefore, the differences in the changes in emissions and the needle contents of each element should be examined separately which was not a goal of this study. However, the discrepancy between these results did not prevent the use of bioindication methods. Evaluation of pollutant contents in plants reflected their incorporation in biological processes rather than air or soil pollution levels.
For last decades the Silesian and Żywiec Beskidy have been affected by different types of anthropopression. Up to the nineties of the 20th century, forests of the area were affected by a high level of air pollutants transported mainly from the Upper Silesian and Ostrava industrial regions. From 2004 intensive felling and skidding works in declining forest stands combined with their reconstruction have been carried out. Among different species silver fir has been introduced on a large scale. In the paper the results of investigation of plants and soil carried out 7 sites located in Beskidy Mountains (49°41’6”N, 19°1’48”E) are presented. Contents of K, Mg, Ca and N in needles of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and leaves of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) were determined which was accompanied by a chemical characteristics of forest topsoil from the same sites. Moreover, in both environment compartments, the concentration of S, Pb, Cd, and Zn was also determined to assess the level of anthropopression in individual sites. In general, the obtained results show relatively good mineral status of plants. Some disturbances in the ratios of elements in plants were found in sites located near the Polish and Czech border. In plants and soil in these sites an elevated level of heavy metals was found which testifies the transboundary transport of air pollutants. The bilberry seems to be a better bioindicator of heavy metal pollution than silver fir.
The hydrophobic nature of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) helps to dissolve and stabilize the 1,2-Dihydroxyanthraquinone (1,2-DHAQ;1) and hence permits its use as a coordination of 1 with cations in aqueous solution has been investigated by means of UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. This β-CD:1,2-DHAQ (2) has been used for the colorimetric recognition behavior toward the Co2+ ion by changing the color of the solution, which could be easily observed with the naked eye detection. The chemosensor 2 showed good fluorescence behavior upon interactions with various cations displayed strong fluorescence quenching (Co2+;~80% switch-Off) as a fluorescent chemosensor based on the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) sensor. Moreover, that the 2•Co2+ ensemble when tested towards various anions only nitrate (NO3–) enable cobalt binding (as CoNO3) and led to fluorescence enhancement (~82%; switch-On). The detection limits of sensor 2•Co2+ and 2•Co2+ to NO3– were estimated to 22.7 nM and 2.4 nM, respectively. Theoretical studies on molecular docking study and density functional theory (DFT) calculations has been performed to the binding of Co2+ and NO3– ions with 2. The fluorescent changes of 2 upon addition of Co2+ to NO3– can be utilised as an XNOR logic gate. Furthermore, propensity of 2 as a bio-imaging of fluorescent probe to detection in Co2+ ion and sequential detection of NO3– ion by 2•Co2+ in living cells (human cervical cancer HeLa cell lines) by confocal laser scanning microscopy.
In this study, potential of fruit of Morus nigra and Morus alba was evaluated as short-term biomonitor. Each variety of the fruits was collected from 13 different locations of Islamabad with different level of pollution. Both fruits were quantified by k
0-instrumental neutron activation analysis. Pollution level was assessed by the application of enrichment factor (EF) and principal component analysis (PCA). EF revealed a source of (As, Hg, I and Se) and PCA showed the areas of high dust level. The overall analysis suggested that both fruits could be used as short-term biomonitor.
From 1999 to 2003 a multipurpose regional geochemical mapping project, was carried out jointly by scientists from Finland, Russia and Norway, The project area encompasses Finland, and the NW-part of Russia. At the same time the data produced will be an important contribution to the IUGS/IAGC Global Geochemical Baselines Programme. An important aim of the project is to define the anthropogenic impact in relation to the natural variations in regional geochemical baselines of heavy metals and other elements over a large area containing several of the largest industrial emitters in Europe but also some of its most pristine areas. Terrestrial moss, the organic layer, stream waters, and the C-horizon soil samples were collected in 2000-2001 from 1085 sites in Russia and 288 sites in Finland, giving an average density of one site per 1000 km(2). Samples from vegetation such as tree and shrub layer, and complete soil profiles were collected from 30 special sites. Monthly precipitation samples were collected during 12 months from May 2000 to June 2001 close to these special sites. An even larger variety of sampling materials (altogether more than 1000 samples) were collected during the pilot phase in 1999 from the nine catchments. Both total and aqua regia extractable element concentrations were determined from <2 mm fraction of minerogenic samples, and total concentrations of organic soil samples and terrestrial moss were measured after strong acid leach, bioavailable concentrations of organic layer soil samples were measured, too. Main part of the analytical work was done in the laboratory of the Geological Survey of Finland. Concentrations of more than 50 elements, radionuclides, and other parameters were determined. Different extraction methods were used in order to study the speciation and bioavailability of the elements. Maps showing the distribution of 48 elements and other parameters are included in this atlas. The anomaly patterns of minerogenic C-horizon data are strongly controlled by element distributions in the bedrock. Stream water data are mainly controlled by geological formations and structures both for major and trace elements, but in some cases the influence of anthropogenic activities could be detected as elevated heavy metal concentrations. Anomaly patterns from moss data reflect mainly anthropogenic activities, but in areas such as mountains and tundra the geogenic dust also has a strong influence. It was not possible to detect any long distance airborne transport of heavy metals from industrialized areas to clean arctic regions.
A new rhodamine-based chemosensor 1 has been designed and synthesized. The receptor selectively recognizes Co2+ and Hg2+ ions in CH3CN/water (4:1, v/v; 10 μM tris HCl buffer, pH 6.8) by showing different extents of change in emission. The disappearance of colour of mercury-ensemble of 1 followed by appearance of distinct bluish colour under UV illumination upon addition of l-cysteine distinguishes Hg2+ from Co2+ ions. The receptor shows in vitro detection of both the ions in human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells.
Uptake in Hylocomium splendens and Sphagnum fuscum, of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb from artificial solutions of precipitation at ambient concentration levels was investigated. The primary objective was to study to what extent major cations and possibility anions in the precipitation might affect the uptake by competition or possibly by complexing reactions. In addition the effect on metal uptake of pH and temperature was studied. The uptake of Zn and partly Cu was lower from precipitation with a high content of seasalt. With increasing metal concentration an increasing amount of Zn and Cu accumulated in the moss. These observations suggest that cations in the precipitation such as Na(+) and Mg(2+) may affect the uptake by competition. Possibly also Cl(-) may interfere by complexing reactions. Uptake of Zn and Cd was pH dependent. The uptake of all four metals increased with temperature. The results from this work appear to be significant with respect to the interpreation of data from atmospheric deposition surveys based on moss analysis.
Concentrations of seven elements (As, Cd, Cr, Mn, Pb, V, Zn) in mosses (Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Eurhynchium angustirete) and needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and juniper (Juniperus communis) were determined at 48 sites in Lithuania. Conifer needles consistently showed many times lower concentrations than mosses collected at the same site. Correlations between heavy-metal concentrations in needles and mosses indicated that accumulation processes may be similar, but mosses appear to be clearly preferable as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition because of their higher elemental concentrations and more quantitative reflection of deposition rates. Precipitation in the open field and under the canopy was investigated at two stations with respect to the same metals. The canopy was shown to retain a considerable part of lead, whereas elements such as Zn and Mn were enriched in precipitation under the canopy. Study of metal concentrations in moss growing, respectively, below and outside the canopy showed that none of so studied elements was significantly retained by the canopy. Most of the metals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Cr, Ni, V) were leached from the canopy to a smaller or greater extent.
Uptake of Ca, Mg, K, Mn, Fe, Al, Rb, Ph, Cu, Zn, and Cd in vascular plants from a birch forest area near a Cu smelter in northern Norway was investigated. The primary objective was to study metal uptake in plants growing in a strong local acidification gradient. Decreased levels of Mn, Mg, and Ca found in Betula pubescens, Vaccinum myrtillus, and Deschampsia flexuosa near the smelter corresponded to a decrease in base saturation of the soil. This suggests that appreciable soil acidification has taken place. The level of Rb in Vaccinum myrtillus and Sorbus aucuparia increased significantly towards the smelter, probably due to the higher soil acidity. Elevated levels of Cu, Zn, Ph, and Cd in surface soil were found with values up to 2500 mg kg–1 Cu within 1 km from the smelter. These concentrations decreased significantly with distance, but metal contamination was detectable up to 27 km from the smelter along the prevailing wind direction. A corresponding decrease was detected for Cu in the four plant species analyzed. Elevated levels of Zn, Ph, Fe, and Al were found in some, but not all, species.
Monthly rainwater samples were collected during the summer of 1994 in eight arctic catchments in northern Europe (four in Russia, three in Finland, one in Norway), at different distances and wind directions from the emissions of the Russian nickel ore mining, roasting and smelting industry on the Kola Peninsula. Three stations consisting of five samplers each were placed in open areas in all the catchments. Results show that close to the smelters in Monchegorsk, rainwater is strongly enriched in Ni (633 x), Co, Cu, As, Mo, Al (36 x), V, Cd, Sb, Pb (11 x), Zn, Fe, Sr, Na, S/SO4 (6 x), Cl, Cr, Se (4 x) and Ag when compared to a Finnish background catchment. Three sources of elements can be differentiated: natural dust, sea spray and anthropogenic (smokestack emissions and dust). Correlation diagrams and element ratios can be used to identify the different industrial processes and even ore feed changes at one smelter.
Mosses have been used extensively to monitor atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and other trace constituents. In this paper, evidence from multi-element moss surveys is used to discuss the feasibility of this technique and to critically evaluate factors that may lead to misinterpretation of results. Two aspects receive particular attention: (1) calibration against precipitation data to allow transformation of element concentrations in moss to deposition rates and (2) contribution to the elemental composition of the moss from sources other than air pollution, such as marine influence, windblown soil dust, and uptake from soil via higher plants and subsequent transfer to mosses. Specific problems with the use of mosses as biomonitors in the Arctic are also discussed.
Concentrations of metals in birch leaves were measured around the Severonikel smelter at Monchegorsk, Kola Peninsula, northwestern Russia, between 1991 and 1994. Concentrations of Ni, Cu and Fe near the smelter were 6-12 times higher than the recent regional background concentrations, while concentrations of Mn and Zn were 5-10 and 1.5-2 times lower, respectively. The regional background concentrations of Ni and Cu have increased 3-5 times during the last 20 years. Foliage concentrations of micronutrients (Zn and Mn) showed less annual variation than Ni and Cu. Contamination changed more sharply along the northeastern gradient than along the southern one. Subalpine birch forests were significantly less affected by Ni and Cu than lowland forests, but the lower concentration of Mn indicated a greater impact of SO(2) in mountainous regions. Although birch accumulated relatively less pollutants than conifers, birch resistance to pollution makes it a possible indicator in environmental studies since it survives even within the wastelands where conifers have vanished.
The Cu and Ni tolerance of 3- to 5-year-old cuttings of crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) were tested in controlled conditions. Six levels of Cu (0.1-100 mg l(-1)), five levels of Ni (0-100 mg l(-1)) and nine levels of Cu+Ni were applied. The elongation of the shoots, new shoot and root dry weights indicated an adverse effect of increasing Cu and Ni concentrations. At low Cu levels the addition of Ni decreased the dry weights more than at high Cu levels. The results show that E. nigrum accumulated high concentrations of Cu and Ni mainly in old stem tissue, which contained a maximum of over 3000 mg kg(-1) Cu and 1000 mg kg(-1) Ni. The concentrations of Cu and Ni in E. nigrum were higher than those measured in plants growing in areas near to Cu-Ni smelters, but the accumulation pattern was similar. The survival of the cuttings was not affected suggesting that E. nigrum possesses an internal heavy metal tolerance.
Single-element distributions of geochemical exploration data have been portrayed by and interpreted according to the parameters of the (log) normal distribution. Its estimators, arithmetic mean and standard deviation are sometimes used to define outliers. Practical treatment of empirical geochemical data (with examples presented from regional stream sediment data) suggests, however, that the statistical assumptions often fail to describe the real data behaviour. Few measurements or small populations, deviating extremely from the main body of data can influence the estimators significantly and at least partly mask the inherent information. To overcome these problems resulting from conventional classical statistics, Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) with its graphical and numerical techniques, independent of distributional assumptions, was introduced and successfully applied to geochemical data derived from a regional stream sediment survey in Austria. Resistant selected order statistics (5-number summary) are explained and discussed for their usefulness in outlier detection as well as for the comparison of different data sets. Great emphasis is given to graphical data summaries using one-dimensional scatter plots, quantile plots, boxplots and density traces.EDA is also useful in geochemical mapping. This affects especially class selection, presentation of outliers and regional distributions of single elements as well as variables derived from detailed multivariate statistical analysis. Major advantages of EDA are the straightforward application of its techniques and the easily interpretable results. In addition, the geochemical contrast on maps can be enhanced considerably, resulting in a more objective outlier definition as well as a better resolution of the regional background.
A regional geochemical reconnaissance, based upon the minus 150 micron fraction of active stream sediment, has been conducted by the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) over Irish Caledonian terrains. Thirty-eight chemical elements of economic and environmental significance (Ag, As, Au, Ba, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Eu, Fe, Hf, Ir, La, Li, Lu, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sr, Ta, Te, Th, U, V, W, Yb, Zn and Zr) were determined by combined instrumental techniques (AAS and INAA). To date, the multielement database for some 2500 samples from three regions covers about 7,500 km2.
Snowpack samples representing atmospheric deposition during winter 1993-1994 were taken in eight catchments at different distances to the industry on the Kola Peninsula, NW Russia, and in contiguous areas of Norway and Finland. Snow was collected at 7-13 stations per catchment and delivered frozen to the laboratory. There, the samples were melted acid filtered( < 0.45 μm) on-line. Meltwater (MW) and filter residue (FR) fractions were analysed separately using ICP-MS and ICP-AES techniques. The ratios of FR to FR + MW concentrations show very characteristic patterns for the different industrial sources in the area. Nickel smelting at Monchegorsk results for example in predominantly water soluble deposition of Cu and S, while close to the ore roasting plant at Zapoljarniy these elements are mainly deposited in particulate form. For many elements more than 60% of the total deposition is particular in all catchments. The FR/(FR + MW) ratio of snow appears to be a useful tool to fingerprint pollution sources.
Poor establishment and reduced seedling growth of Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.) in northern Sweden is related to an allelopathic inhibition by the dwarf shrubEmpetrum hermaphroditum Hagerup. Indoor bioassays with green and brown leaves ofEmpetrum have strong negative effects on rooting ability, radicle elongation, and growth of Scots pine seedlings. Bioassays with soil
samples show that phytotoxic substances leached fromEmpetrum foliage accumulate in the soil. Field experiments reveal that chemical inhibition byEmpetrum, causing high mortality and slow growth of pine seedlings, can be reduced by adding activated carbon to the soil.
Indoor and outdoor experiments demonstrated that allelopathy is an important factor explaining seed regeneration failures of Scots pine (Pinussilvestris L.) in forest floor vegetation dominated by the dwarf shrub Empetrumhermaphroditum Hagerup. Scanning electron micrograph views of the leaf surfaces of E. hermaphroditum reveal secretory glands that are shown to be involved in the release of water-soluble phytotoxic substances. Bioassays indicate that low doses and short exposure times of seeds to leachates have strong negative effects on germination and early root development. Activated carbon can eliminate the inhibitory effects of leachates and litter. This technique demonstrates the occurrence of allelopathic interference by E. hermaphroditum on seed germination of both Scots pine and aspen (Populustremula L.). In a field experiment the allelopathic effects by E. hermaphroditum are strong during early spring when germination and growth initiate and ground ice still is present. Extracts passed through soils collected from an E. hermaphroditum site were detoxified, while those passed through sterilized soil were not. Therefore, microorganisms may detoxify the allelochemicals under some environmental conditions.
Soil, vegetation, and rainfall, have been collected in the vicinity of a nickel–copper smelter at Sudbury, Ontario. The region is a major producer of many metals, and the large areas of forest desolation in the vicinity have been ascribed to sulphur dioxide fumigations over the past 80 years. In the present study, attention has been focused on potentially toxic heavy metals. Very elevated soil levels of nickel and copper were found, with values up to 5,104 ppm Ni and 2,892 ppm Cu within 1.1 km of the smelter. The concentrations decreased with distance to 49.8 km in one direction. Surface soils were the most contaminated, and a decline through the soil profile was found. Other metals such as iron, cobalt, and silver, showed a similar pattern of distance and depth, suggestive of an airborne source. Analyses of the foliage of three plant species also showed excessive levels of nickel and copper, as well as of aluminium. The levels declined with distance from the smelter.
The relative possibilities of soil versus aerial uptake are considered. The soils within 2–3 km of the smelter were markedly more acidic than those from farther away, and this was paralleled by their increased conductivity. Dustfall–rainfall collections and analyses of the soluble heavy metals indicated that a major aerial source of metals existed, and that the problem of metallic emissions is not merely one of the past. Heavy metals are persistent in soils, and the ecological consequences to date have perhaps only been masked around Sudbury by the sulphur dioxide damage, and the particular importance attached to it in the past.
Dew droplets collected with pipettes from coniferous needles were analysed for their ionic composition. Almost all samples of dew taken from Scots pine trees (Pinus sylvestris) showed significantly higher ion concentrations than those taken from Norway spruce trees (Picea abies). This can be explained by the micromorphology of the needle surface. The higher microscale roughness of the wax layer of a pine needle causes a more efficient flux of atmospheric aerosol particles compared to the spruce needle surface. Dew on coniferous needles is shown to be capable of maintaining pH values below 3 for several hours.
All variables of several large data sets from regional geochemical and environmental surveys were tested for a normal or
lognormal data distribution. As a general rule, almost all variables (up to more than 50 analysed chemical elements per data
set) show neither a normal or a lognormal data distribution. Even when different transformation methods are used more than
70 % of all variables in every single data set do not approach a normal distribution. Distributions are usually skewed, have
outliers and originate from more than one process. When dealing with regional geochemical or environmental data normal and/or
lognormal distributions are an exception and not the rule. This observation has serious consequences for the further statistical
treatment of geochemical and environmental data. The most widely used statistical methods are all based on the assumption
that the studied data show a normal or lognormal distribution. Neglecting that geochemcial and environmental data show neither
a normal or lognormal distribution will lead to biased or faulty results when such techniques are used.
The paper describes the use of oak tree (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea) bark for determining the distribution of air pollution by heavy metals and other elements in the western part of the Czech Republic, known as Bohemia. The samples collected were analysed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in IRI TU Delft. To obtain sulphur concentration radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis (RXRFA) was applied in CTU-FNSPE. Out of all the determined elements 24 (Al, As, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Hf, Hg, La, Mn, Na, Ni, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Th, Ti, U, V, W, Zn) were selected as the most important. Then the data were analysed by Monte Carlo-assisted factor analysis (MCAFA) with the aim of resolving and identifying the environmental pollution sources. Some of the factors were interpreted as fly ash, coal combustion, Zn industry, waste incinerator plant, crustal material or metal industry. The geographical distribution patterns of the factors are also available.
Concentrations of Na, Mg, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, La, Pb and Bi in Hylocomium splendens were compared with bulk deposition measurements of these elements at six background stations in Norway. Long-range transported elements (V, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Pb and Bi) showed generally significant correlations between moss and wet deposition, and uptake efficiencies relative to that of Pb were estimated to be: V, 40–55%; Cu, 50%; Zn, 35%; As, 10–25%; Mo, 40–60%; Cd, 50–65%; Sb, 35–55%; Bi, 30–40%. The range apparent for some elements is attributed to competition with sea-salt cations in coastal areas. V, Cu, Zn and possibly Mo showed general background levels in the moss, which may be due to essential functions of these or contribution from sources other than atmospheric deposition.
Leaves of Ulmus glabra, Crataegus monogyna, Salix alba and Quercus robur, heavily contaminated with aerial fallout of zinc, lead, and cadmium, were subjected to several washing and extraction procedures. Large proportions of the metal burdens were found to be present as superficial deposits removed by washing, comprising water-soluble and insoluble deposits. Distribution of metals on and in the leaves varied significantly between different species. Each metal was distributed differently within the leaves of any one species. Reference is made to the effects of rainfall on the results.The results are discussed in relation to leaf cuticle structure, foliar-absorption and uptake of metals from the soil. The toxicological significance of such heavy fallout of Zn, Pb and Cd to plants is discussed.
Concentrations of 48 elements in the ground growing mosses Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi have been compared with wet deposition data for the same elements at 13 Norwegian sites. Significant positive correlations were found for V, Fe, Co, As, Y, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ce, Sm, Er, TI and Pb in Hylocomium splendens, and for Mg, V, Fe, Co, As, Se, Y, Mo, Cd, Sb, TI and Pb in Pleurozium schreberi. Regression equations for transforming moss concentration data to absolute deposition rates have been calculated for those of the above elements which are of interest from a pollution point of view. The concentration levels of Li, Be, Mg, Ca, Zn, Ge, As, Se, Sr, Y, Zr, Sn, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Ho, Yb, Hf, Ta and U were similar in the two moss species. Hylocomium splendens had highest concentrations of Cr,; Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Er, Tm, Lu, W, Tl, Pb and Th, whereas V, Mn, Rb and Cd were highest in Pleurozium schreberi. No variations were observed in the concentrations of the studied elements during the sampling season.
This is the first attempt to determine pollution with metals throughout the Federal Republic of Germany by analysing moss samples. Samples of Pleurozium schreberi, Scleropodium purum, Hypnum cupessiforme and Hylocomium splendens were collected at 593 sites and analysed by ICP-AES and AAS for the elements As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V and Zn. Citrus leaves and pine needles were used as reference materials to ensure the quality of the results. In many cases it was possible to trace the areas affected by known sources of heavy-metal emissions in addition to isolated local increases in the values. The moss monitoring programme showed up the highly industrialized and urban locations such as the Ruhr, parts of the Saarland and Baden-Wurttemberg and large areas of eastern Germany. Lower levels of many elements were found in wide stretches of Lower Saxony and Bavaria. The results largely reflect the pollution patterns found in these areas. On the other hand, expected correlations between the effects of traffic (e.g. Pb) and concentrations in moss could not be demonstrated with certainty. The element data yielded by this project are Germany's contribution to the European project 'Atmospheric Heavy Metal Deposition in Europe -- Estimations based on Moss Analysis'.
Small-scale element distribution in soil-plant-systems in patches of Empetrum nigrum (microsites) at heavy metal contaminated sites located 0.5 and 4 km from the copper-nickel smelter at Harjavalta was investigated. The Cu concentrations of E. nigrum varied between 12 and 2300 mg/kg dw and showed increasing accumulation with increasing tissue age. Stems contained more Cu than leaves of the same age. The distribution pattern of Ni and Pb in the above-ground biomass followed that of Cu. Roots contained relatively low concentrations of all airborne heavy metals. In the soil, the highest concentrations of total Cu occurred in the humus (Oh) layer: on average 49,450 mg/kg dw at 0.5 km distance and 12,025 mg/kg dw at 4.0 km. Despite the extremely high Cu concentrations in the topsoil, the concentrations in the mineral soil below a depth of 10 cm did not exceed 2.5 mg/kg dw at any site.
Duplicate samples of the two terrestrial moss species Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi, which are widely used to monitor airborne heavy metal pollution, have been collected from eight catchments spread over a 1,500,000 km2 area in northern Europe. These were analysed for a total of 38 elements by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and cold vapour-atomic absorption spectometry techniques. Results show that the moss species can be combined without interspecies calibration for regional mapping purposes. For the majority of elements the observed within-catchment variation is large--big composite samples over a large area should thus be collected when moss is to be used for monitoring purposes. For the majority of elements the input of dust governs moss chemistry. For a reliable 'contamination' signal over a sizeable area a major source is needed. Some elements show a dependence on climate/vegetation zone. In coastal areas the input of marine aerosols will alter the chemical signal obtained from moss samples.
Leaves of 9 different plant species (terrestrial moss represented by: Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi; and 7 species of vascular plants: blueberry, Vaccinium myrtillus; cowberry, Vaccinium titis-idaea; crowberry, Empetrum nigrum; birch, Betula pubescens; willow, Salix spp.; pine, Pinus sylvestris and spruce, Picea abies) have been collected from up to 9 catchments (size 14-50 km2) spread over a 1500000 km2 area in Northern Europe. Soil samples were taken of the O-horizon and of the C-horizon at each plant sample site. All samples were analysed for 38 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Th, Tl, U, V, Y, Zn and Zr) by ICP-MS, ICP-AES or CV-AAS (for Hg-analysis) techniques. The concentrations of some elements vary significantly between different plants (e.g. Cd, V, Co, Pb, Ba and Y). Other elements show surprisingly similar levels in all plants (e.g. Rb, S, Cu, K, Ca, P and Mg). Each group of plants (moss, shrubs, deciduous and conifers) shows a common behaviour for some elements. Each plant accumulates or excludes some selected elements. Compared to the C-horizon, a number of elements (S, K, B, Ca, P and Mn) are clearly enriched in plants. Elements showing very low plant/C-horizon ratios (e.g. Zr, Th, U, Y, Fe, Li and Al) can be used as an indicator of minerogenic dust. The plant/O-horizon and O-horizon/C-horizon ratios show that some elements are accumulated in the O-horizon (e.g. Pb, Bi, As, Ag, Sb). Airborne organic material attached to the leaves can thus, result in high values of these elements without any pollution source.
Maps of the distribution of environmental pollution by sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and arsenic (As) for the territory of Poland and the Warsaw (Warszawa) district were developed on the basis of chemical analysis of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles collected from randomly selected sampling points during 1983-1985. The maps show deposition zones for the studied elements and can help in identification of sources and directions of air pollution dispersion. This study indicated that vegetation in Poland is greatly endangered by sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) and other sulfurous air pollutants, whereas Zn, Cd, Pb, and As do not pose an immediate threat to vegetation in most of the country's territory. However, in the urban-industrial agglomeration of Katowice-Cracow, very high pollution with Z, Cd, Pb and As could limit growth and development of some sensitive plant species. Higher than normal levels of As in some areas of Poland (Upper Silesia, Glogow-Lubin Copper Region, and areas close to the Russian border near Braniewo) might affect the health of humans and animals. Results of this study indicated that Poland's environment was not contaminated with Cu.
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Field Manual for Barents Ecogeochemistry project
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Trace Elements in Terrestrial Plants: An Ecophy-siological Approach to Biomonitoring and Biorecovery Use of mosses (Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi) as biomonitors of heavy metal deposition: from relative to absolute deposition values
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Environmental Geochemical Atlas of the Central Barents Region. NGU-GTK-CKE special publication
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Plants as Biomonitors
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