Validation and Application of Plants as Biomonitors of Trace Element Atmospheric Pollution – A Co-Ordinated Effort in 14 Countries

Smodiš, Borut; Pignata, María Luisa; Saiki, M.; Cortés, E.; Bangfa, Ni; Markert, Bernd; Nyarko, B.J.B.; Arunachalam, J.; Garty, Jacob; Vutchkov, M. K.; Wolterbeek, Hubert Th.; Steinnes, E.; Freitas, M. C.; Lucaciu, A.; Frontasyeva, M. V.

doi:10.1007/s10874-004-1210-2

Cited by 34 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…This measurement indeed does not allow one to predict the transfer of any element to vegetation, it does not provide information about limit values for human health toxicity, and it does not take into account the interspecific variations of TM uptake. The use of sentinel vegetation has been widely considered but mostly for atmospheric pollution for which direct prediction is difficult (Smodiš et al, 2004). To reflect risk, an efficient plant biomonitor should quantitatively reflect the level of element transfer from soil to the edible parts (Smodiš et al, 2004), take into account that the level of transfer varies among plant species, and be relevant for all of the potentially toxic elements in the specific context.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trace Metal(oid) Accumulation in Edible Crops and Poplar Cuttings Grown on Dredged Sediment Enriched Soil

et al. 2018

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The development of a biomonitor in the context of multiple‐element contamination in urban environments was tested by comparing element transfer in edible crops and poplar (Populus trichocarpa Torr. × Populus maximowiczii A. Henry cutlivar ‘Skado’). A multielemental analysis was performed with various common edible crops (cucumber [Cucumis sativus L.], pepper [Capsicum annuum L.], cabbage [Brassica oleracea L.], and lettuce [Lactuca sativa L.]) and the Skado poplar cultivar grown on soils that received sediments dredged from water canals in the 1960s. Sediments were distributed unevenly on the soil, allowing us to sample two types of areas that were either weakly (Area 1) or highly (Area 2) contaminated, mainly by Cd, Pb, and Zn. We registered an accumulation of Cd and Zn in the edible parts of crops, with higher values recorded for leafy vegetables than for fruit vegetables. We did not detect any accumulation of Pb in the plant species studied. We calculated the fresh mass that must be consumed daily to reach tolerable daily intake (TDI) recommendations for each element and found evidence that Cd could be ingested in sufficient amounts to reach the TDI in this context. Poplar and pepper leaves accumulated more Cd and Zn than the edible parts of the study crops grown on both substrates, which suggests that poplar and pepper may be suitable species for biomonitoring element transfer to vegetation in this context. Core Ideas We estimated element transfer from a dredged sediment enriched soil to plants. The suitability of poplar and edible crops as biomonitors was tested. The ‘Skado’ poplar cultivar was confirmed to be a suitable biomonitor candidate The pepper plant is a promising novel candidate in the context of urban gardening.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trace Metal(oid) Accumulation in Edible Crops and Poplar Cuttings Grown on Dredged Sediment Enriched Soil

et al. 2018

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“…Currently, the instrumental methods for analysis of environmental pollution are effectively supplemented or even substituted by methods using biological indices [3][4][5][6] and become "one of the pillars of modern environmental monitoring" [7]. Their obvious advantages are a cheap and simple method of visual assessment of species diversity and external symptoms of changes caused by human pressure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use Of Mosses In Biomonitoring Of Selected Areas In Poland And Spitsbergen In The Years From 1975 To 2014

Kłos

Bochenek

Bjerke

et al. 2015

Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S

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Abstract:We have compared historical changes in concentrations of the heavy metals Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb accumulated in samples from the Polish woodlands of Beskidy and Karkonosze (S, SE Poland) and the north-east regions of the country, versus the relatively little polluted areas of Spitsbergen of the Svalbard Archipelago. We have combined the results from literature with new results from 2014. The regions of Beskidy and Karkonosze were the most exposed to heavy metals deposition. However, from 1975 to 2014 there was a considerable decrease of concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb at all Polish sites, clearly signifying improvement of environmental quality. For example, the average Cd concentration in mosses samples collected in Karkonosze decreased from 0.002 mg/g in 1975 to 0.0006 mg/g in 2014. It is interesting to observe relatively large concentrations of nickel in moss samples collected in 2014 in the Svalbard archipelago, in the vicinity of Longyearbyen (average 0.018 mg/g) which most likely originate from local mine waste piles.

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“…Estimating atmospheric deposition rates by analysis of moss bioindicators was introduced and tested in the 1960s and 1970s (Rühling and Tyler 1971), and the moss method was soon adopted and introduced for territorial surveys of monitoring air quality (Smodis et al 2004). Contents of heavy metals, total sulphur and nitrogen, isotopes of some elements, radionuclides, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A quarter century of biomonitoring atmospheric pollution in the Czech Republic

Suchara

Sucharová

Holá

2015

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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The Czech Republic (CZ) had extremely high emissions and atmospheric deposition of pollutants in the second half of the 1980s. Since the beginning of the 1990s, moss, spruce bark and forest floor humus have been used as bioindicators of air quality. In the first half of the 1990s, seven larger areas were found to be affected by high atmospheric deposition loads. Six of these "hot spots" were caused by industrial pollution sources, mainly situated in coal basins in the NW and NE part of the country, and one large area in the SE was affected by increased deposition loads of eroded soil particles. After restructuring of industry in CZ, these hot spots were substantially reduced or even disappeared between 1995 and 2000. Since 2000, only two larger areas with slightly increased levels of industrial pollutant deposition and a larger area affected by soil dust have repeatedly been identified by biomonitoring. The distribution of lead isotope ratios in moss showed the main deposition zones around important emission sources. Very high SO emissions led to extreme acidity of spruce bark extracts (pH of about 2.3) at the end of the 1980s. The rate of increasing bark pH was strikingly similar to the rate of recovery of acid wet deposition measured at forest stations in CZ. By about 2005, when the median pH value in bark increased to about 3.2, the re-colonisation of trees by several epiphyte lichen species was observed throughout CZ. An increase in the accumulation of Chernobyl-derived Cs in bark was detected at about ten sites affected by precipitation during the time when radioactive plumes crossed CZ (1986). Accumulated deposition loads in forest floor humus corresponded to the position of the moss and bark hot spots.

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Validation and Application of Plants as Biomonitors of Trace Element Atmospheric Pollution – A Co-Ordinated Effort in 14 Countries

Cited by 34 publications

References 6 publications

Trace Metal(oid) Accumulation in Edible Crops and Poplar Cuttings Grown on Dredged Sediment Enriched Soil

Trace Metal(oid) Accumulation in Edible Crops and Poplar Cuttings Grown on Dredged Sediment Enriched Soil

The Use Of Mosses In Biomonitoring Of Selected Areas In Poland And Spitsbergen In The Years From 1975 To 2014

A quarter century of biomonitoring atmospheric pollution in the Czech Republic

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