Biomonitoring levels of airborne metals around Urmia Lake using deciduous trees and evaluation of their tolerance for greenbelt development

Abstract

In the northwest of Iran, the dust of salty and toxic metals possibly caused due to drying Urmia Lake is threatening the health of surrounding communities. This study aimed to employ leaves of local deciduous trees for biomonitoring of toxic elements and to evaluate air pollution tolerance of the trees for greenbelt application. Sampling from leaves of four dominant tree species including Vitis vinifera, Juglans regia, Ulmus umbraculifera, and Popolus alba was carried out from gardens in two radial distances (5 and 10 km) around the Urmia Lake accounting for 16 sites. The concentration of metals in the leaves were extracted according to method USEPA method 3050B and measured by ICP AES technique. According to the levels of air pollution tolerance index (APTI), Popolus alba showed to be more sensitive to air pollution and can be applied for biomonitoring. The ranks of heavy metals and sodium concentrations in the leaves gained in the order of Na > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > As > Cd. The mean enrichment factor for the elements was calculated from 1 to 3, suggesting minor enrichment for them. As, Pb, and Na with similar spatial distribution were dominantly observed in northwest and center-east of the Urmia Lake. Potential ecological risk (PER) index showed a moderate risk in 6% of sampling zones, where Cd and As were identified as responsible pollutants. Principle component and correlation analysis between the elements depicted human sources such as industrial activity and road traffic for Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, whereas As and Na were most likely originated from the aerosols of Urmia Lake. Our findings showed that Popolus alba can be applied as a local biomonitor and Vitis vinifera with moderate tolerance can be used as a good air pollutant sink in greenbelt development around the drying Urmia Lake in the northwest of Iran.

The effects of roadways on lakes and ponds: a systematic review and assessment of knowledge gaps

“…Other sources include industrial facilities, inorganic and organic chemicals, agricultural fields, and urban construction (Bai et al 2011;Watchorn et al 2013;Weiss et al 2018;Wang et al 2020). The most common heavy metals correlated with road traffic included Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Pt, and Cr (Rice et al 2002;Rauch and Hemond 2003;Rabajczyk et al 2011;Mohammadi et al 2018). Among these parameters, Zn was specifically linked to tire wear (Thapalia et al 2010;Hwang et al 2016), and was the metal with the highest reported concentration in a study that looked at 19 roadside stormwater detention ponds in Sweden (Wik et al 2008).…”

“…Heavy metals associated with roads (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Pt, and Cr) often occurred in high concentrations in lentic environments due to road runoff (Rabajczyk et al 2011;Ioannides et al 2015;Mohammadi et al 2018). Runoff-induced increases in Cu and Cd concentrations in lakes and ponds have been linked to dissolution of these metals from brake pads (Rice et al 2002;Camponelli et al 2010;Torghabeh et al 2020).…”

A Comparative Study on the Capability of Tree Species in Urban Afforestation to Accumulate Heavy Metals

“…They can absorb heavy metals from the air through their roots, leaves, and skin and purify the environment [10]. The extent and variety of tree species along with high leaf area introduce them as a suitable biological monitor as well as adsorbent of gaseous pollutants, heavy metals, and suspended particles [11]. Various studies show that trees are effective air filters by absorbing suspended particles on their leaves to reduce air pollution [12].…”

Prevalence and predictors of iron-deficiency anemia: Women's health perspective at reproductive age in the suburb of dried Urmia Lake, Northwest of Iran

“…[ 11 ] Studies on heavy metals and sodium concentrations in the leaves of local deciduous trees reported large amounts of toxic metals content such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium. [ 12 ] It has been shown that heavy metals in the blood can negatively interfere with iron homeostasis and lead to ID which could be reversed by provision of iron and subsequent increase in expression and activity of iron importers. [ 13 14 15 16 17 ] On the other hand, depletion of water used for irrigation has made widespread agricultural and ecological disruption which can contribute to poverty and poor nutrition, which could worsen the health issues.…”