Use of Black Poplar Leaves for the Biomonitoring of Air Pollution in an Urban Agglomeration

Abstract

Trees are considered to be an effective tool for metal pollution biomonitoring. In the present study, the concentration of metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Co, Ni, Fe, Mn, and Al) in black poplar leaves (Populus nigra L.), together with the concentration of PM10, PM2.5, PM1, and total suspended particles (TSP), was used for the air pollution biomonitoring in 12 sites from various areas of Cluj-Napoca city, Romania. The concentration of PM10 in the air was high, but their metal content was low. However, Cu, Pb, and Zn were moderately enriched, while Cd was highly enriched in PM10 due to anthropogenic sources. The average metal concentration in leaves decreased in the order Zn>>Fe>Mn>Al>Pb>Ni>Cu>Co>Cd and increased with the increase of PM10 concentration, indicating that poplar leaves are sensitive to air pollution. The principal component analysis indicated that traffic, waste burning, road dust resuspension, and soil contamination are the main anthropogenic sources of metals in poplar leaves. The results indicated that black poplar leaves are a suitable biomonitoring tool for metal pollution, in urban environments.

Evaluating the Effects of Environmental Stress on Leaf Chlorophyll Content as an Index for Tree Health

“…Metal taken up by plants can concentrate in leaves and in roots [18]. Poplar tree (Poplar nigra) leaves are one of the most effective environmental bioindicators due to their sensitivity to heavy metal pollution [19] where heavy metal concentration in leaves are observed to be proportional to the heavy metal concentrations in soil. The relationship between heavy metal pollution in soil and heavy metal concentrations in the leaves of trees was studied in Yazd, Iran [14].…”

Accumulation of antimony and lead in leaves and needles of trees: The role of traffic emissions

“…These authors, however, found relatively large variation in metal accumulation among species. Similarly, Levei et al [ 28 ] found substantial inter-species differences in metal concentrations in leaves of Populus nigra, e.g., with respect to Pb.…”

Structural and Physiological Traits of Compound Leaves of Ceratonia siliqua Trees Grown in Urban and Suburban Ambient Conditions

“…The air of the industrialized Mediterranean counties and metropolitan cities contains an array of pollutants which are potentially toxic to plants; usually, the growth of leaves exposed to air pollutants has been inhibited [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ], affecting plant productivity. However, studies linked to the response of plant species to air pollution provide some evidence for differences in sensitivity among successive leaves [ 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”