No abstract

Copper production in the Bor region (east Serbia) during the last 100 years has influenced the quality of soil, water, and air. This pollution has endangered not only the biotope but all living organisms, including humans. Contents of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) were analyzed in Betula sp. (birch) and Tillia sp. (lime) within the Bor region with the aim to investigate the bioaccumulation of these highly toxic, nonessential trace elements in selected plants, which may be important for biomonitoring and bioremediation purposes. The results of statistical data analysis showed that several factors influenced the bioaccumulation of trace elements in the examined plants, of which soil pH, soil content, and mechanism of accumulation were the main factors. The greatest As and Cd concentrations were found in plant material from the Bor center sampling site in the urban/industrial zone, which is in close proximity to the pollution source, due to the greatest metal concentrations in soil and the lowest soil pH. The low values of biological accumulation coefficients (bioconcentration factor <1, mobility ratio <1) pointed to a low rate of uptake and accumulation of As and Cd in lime and birch. Trace elements showed different patterns of behavior and accumulation in the trees. Lime showed a high ability of assimilation through leaves, whereas birch showed a better potential to express a linear correlation between concentrations in plant parts and soil.

In this study, the samples of the spatial soil and organs of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cultivar Tamjanika were collected from the selected zones near the Mining and Smelting Complex Bor (East Serbia). They were analyzed by ICP-OES to determine the content of Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Cd, and Ni with the aim of ascertaining if these data may help in the assessment and improvement of the quality of environment in polluted areas such as Bor and its surrounding area. The results obtained from the calculated biological and enrichment factors, as well as from the Pearson correlation study and hierarchical cluster analysis confirmed that very useful information is recorded in plant organs: root, stem, leaves, and fruit. Yet, when the atmospheric pollution is the sphere of interest, the most informative data are found in unwashed leaves. The results of this study indicated also that the investigated plant species has some highly effective strategies involved in tolerance to the stress induced by heavy metals, which makes it an excellent candidate for phytostabilization purposes. Planting of this grapevine cultivar can be recommended in all areas that are severely polluted with heavy metals.

a b s t r a c tA procedure for the formulation and characterization of a gilding electrolyte based on mercaptotriazole is described. It was found that the electrolyte can be synthesized in a wide pH range, so solutions with different pH values (2, 4, 7, 9 and 12) have been prepared and analyzed. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy were used for the chemical characterization of the prepared solutions. Electrochemical characterization is performed by open circuit potential measurement, cyclic voltammetry and polarization measurements.

This paper reports on the content of six heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Cd and Ni) in topsoil and parts of peach-tree, sampled from eight locations in urban-industrial and rural areas located at various distances from the Bor copper smelter, Serbia. Topsoil samples were analyzed for physical and chemical properties, while the content of heavy metals in all samples was determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (iCAP 6000). The enrichment factor showed that the topsoil was enriched by heavy metals (except for nickel), at all locations. An extreme enrichment by copper was found at six locations (EF soil = 86-101). The enrichment factors of heavy metals in peach-tree parts were highest in roots and leaves. The most extreme enrichment by copper was found to occur in the roots (EF plant = 68.80) from the flotation tailing pond. Among the studied heavy metals, only the content of zinc was within normal limits for plants. Calculated biological concentration factors (BCF \ 1) indicated a limited soil-to-root transfer of heavy metals. Moreover, the leaf/branch ratio as well as numerous and very strong Pearson's correlations between elements in the peach-tree parts confirmed that leaves represent the best indicators of pollution originating from atmospheric deposition. Principal component analysis identified sources of heavy metals in soil and parts of peach-tree.

The concentrations of the trace elements (TEs), Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Cd, Ni, were determined in parts of Rubus fruticosus L. and in topsoil, collected from eight different locations around the copper smelter in Bor, Serbia. Extremely high concentrations of Cu were determined in the soil and in R. fruticosus L., and for arsenic at some locations. The enrichment factors for TEs in soil showed enrichment with Cu, Zn, Pb, and As among which extremely high values were determined for Cu (EFsoil = 8.5-126.1) and As (EFsoil = 6.6-44.4). The enrichment factors for the parts of R. fruticosus L. showed enrichment with all TEs, except for nickel. The most extreme enrichment was found to occur in roots and stems for Cu (EFplant = 56.2 and 51.1) and leaves for Pb (EFplant = 45.68). The mean values of the three ratios of concentrations between plant parts for all TEs indicated pollution via the atmosphere while leaves appeared to be the best indicators for this kind of pollution. Numerous and very strong Pearson's correlations between TEs in the R. fruticosus L. parts confirmed these results. Principal Component Analysis showed that the major pollution source is the copper smelter that contaminates vegetation through soil and air.

No abstract

No abstract