Bioaccumulation of Arsenic and Cadmium in Birch and Lime from the Bor Region

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.

Plant parts of the apple tree (Malus spp.) as possible indicators of heavy metal pollution

“…Several biological factors were used for the estimation of plant/risk metal interactions: Bioconcentration factor (BCF) expressed as the ratio of metal concentration in washed plant root to that in soil (the values of BCF[1 point to a good accumulation of a particular metal in roots); Mobility ratio (MR) as the ratio of heavy metal in above ground plant part to that in soil; and Translocation factor (TF) was calculated as a ratio of heavy metal in the above ground plant part to that in plant root (Mingorance et al 2007;Alagić et al 2013). BCF is calculated for all locations (Table 4), whereas MR and TF factors were calculated only for uncontaminated samples from the control site (G) (Supplementary Material Table S2).…”

“…On the other hand, some plants have not only a good extraction but also a good root-to-shoot translocation, which make them able to accumulate extreme concentrations of metals into their above ground parts (100-1000 times higher than the concentrations normally present in plants). These plants are known as hyperaccumulators (Lin and Aarts 2012;Alagić et al 2013;Maric et al 2013). Both described tactics which were developed by different plants in their attempt to tolerate metal excess are often utilized for phytoremediation purposes.…”

“…Unterbrunner et al (2007) investigated Zn and Cd accumulation in tissues of different adult trees and associated herbaceous species collected from contaminated areas in Central Europe and found considerable amounts of Cd and Zn in leaves: 116 and 4680 mg kg -1 , respectively. Research on birch and lime from the contaminated area of the Bor region (East Serbia) showed that these plants interact with their local environment actively and reflect the level of local pollution (Alagić et al 2013). Contents of heavy metals in birch leaves around a Ni/Cu smelter at Northwestern Russia showed that the birch resistance to pollution may favor it as an excellent indicator in environmental studies (Kozlov et al 1995).…”

Heavy metal contamination of topsoil and parts of peach-tree growing at different distances from a smelting complex

“…Values of BCF [ 1 indicate the accumulation of a particular trace metal in roots (Alagić et al 2013).…”

Mining-Metallurgical Sources of Pollution in Eastern Serbia and Environmental Consciousness

“…It is known that in Bor, a unique urban area, possibly the most important mining and metallurgical center in South East Europe, the environment and its surroundings are seriously endangered (Alagić et al 2013, Šerbula et al 2013a. A number of environmental impact factors in this area may be recognized, such as: (1) air pollution, (2) biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), (3) food insecurity (crop damage), (4) loss of landscape (aesthetic degradation), (5) noise pollution, (6) soil contamination (approximately 22 000 ha) (Dimitrijević et al 2016), (7) soil erosion (due to acid mine drainage), (8) deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, (9) surface water pollution, (10) decreasing water quality, (11) groundwater pollution or depletion, and (12) huge waste production.…”