Particulate matter and heavy metal deposition on the leaves of Euonymus japonicus during the East Asian monsoon in Beijing, China

Abstract

Plants can be effectively used as bio-monitors of environmental pollution. However, how the particulate matter (PM) and heavy metal retention ability of plants changes in different areas with human disturbance along with monsoon has not yet been investigated in urban ecosystems. In this study, we measured the amount of PM and heavy metals such as Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn accumulated by the leaves of Euonymus japonicus during the East Asian monsoon from different functional units in Beijing, China. A rinse-and-weigh method developed in our laboratory was used to determine the mass of the PM, and electro-thermal atomic absorption spectrometry was used for heavy metal analysis. We found that the types of functional units had little influence, whereas the monsoon had a significant effect on the deposition of PM: northwest areas during the monsoon had the lowest effect (with 0.005, 0.453, 0.643, and 1.569 g/m2 fine, coarse, large, and total PM, respectively), and the southeast areas during the monsoon had the highest effect (0.015, 2.687, 1.941, and 4.228 g/m2 for fine, coarse, large, and total PM, respectively). Notable, we found considerable variations in heavy metal accumulation across the functional units analyzed, that is, the accumulation level was higher in communities than in parks (P < 0.0001 for all heavy metals). Moreover, a positive relationship was found between PM retention and heavy metal accumulation by the leaves of E. japonicus. Taken together, our results suggested that the PM and heavy metal retention ability of E. japonicus was sensitive to human disturbance and monsoon in Beijing. Since E. japonicus is a widely distributed tree and has the ability of to purify the atmosphere, it is an ideal plant for mitigating urban environmental pollution.

Accumulation of essential (copper, iron, zinc) and non-essential (lead, cadmium) heavy metals in Caulerpa racemosa, sea water, and marine sediments of Bintan Island, Indonesia

“…The aim was to determine the effect of the season on changes in the concentration of heavy metals that accumulated in C. racemosa. 39 This condition is similar to the results found at this research location, where the concentration of heavy metals tends to increase in the northern monsoon due to the effect of current and wave dynamics, which are the driving force for marine dynamics that carry and spread pollutants in waters. 40 Koropitan and Cordova (2017) stated that flow is a component of heavy metal transport from a river transported into open water, thereby increasing its value in the aquatic ecosystem.…”

Accumulation of essential (copper, iron, zinc) and non-essential (lead, cadmium) heavy metals in Caulerpa racemosa, sea water, and marine sediments of Bintan Island, Indonesia

“…38 According to research by Mondol et al (2011), the highest concentration of heavy metals in marine plants is during the wet season, where Pb, Cr, and Cu metals range from 6.18 to 14.91 μg/g, 19.65-19.83 μg/g, and 23.88-33.16 μg/g. 30 Zhang et al (2017) stated that the rainy season has the highest effect on the increase in heavy metals. 39 This condition is similar to the results found at this research location, where the concentration of heavy metals tends to increase in the northern monsoon due to the effect of current and wave dynamics, which are the driving force for marine dynamics that carry and spread pollutants in waters.…”

“…30 Zhang et al (2017) stated that the rainy season has the highest effect on the increase in heavy metals. 39 This condition is similar to the results found at this research location, where the concentration of heavy metals tends to increase in the northern monsoon due to the effect of current and wave dynamics, which are the driving force for marine dynamics that carry and spread pollutants in waters. 40 Koropitan and Cordova (2017) stated that flow is a component of heavy metal transport from a river transported into open water, thereby increasing its value in the aquatic ecosystem.…”

Dust Accumulation, Heavy Metal Content and Stomata Morphology of Some Medicinal Plants at Rock Quarrying Locations at Lokpaukwu, Nigeria

“…Concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, As and Cu) in plants collected from dust polluted sites were higher than those from the control location. The variations in plant metals accumulations have similarly been reported to be site dependent, with plants in polluted sites having higher heavy metals concentration than in unpolluted sites [26,27,28]. This is as a result of heavy metal contamination in leaves from local sources including quarrying operations [29,30].…”