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Giráldez P, Varela Z, Di Guardo A, Terzaghi E, Celeiro M, García-Jares C, Fernández JÁ, Aboal JR. Relationship between foliar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations and plant traits: Intracanopy variability for a broadleaf species in an urban environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 940:173698. [PMID: 38830422 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
The emission of potentially harmful compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the resulting air pollution is a serious problem in modern cities. It is therefore important to develop mitigation strategies, such as "smart" planting of trees that act as sinks for PAHs. However, the intra-individual (within-tree) variability in leaf PAH concentrations remains unknown. In this paper, we studied 15 ornamental apple trees (Malus × moerlandsii 'Profusion') growing on a main street in a medium-sized city in Galicia (NW Spain). We determined the PAH concentrations at 12 canopy positions in each tree (2 orientations and 2 distances from the trunk at 3 heights), measured various ecological traits (specific leaf area [SLA], δ13C, stomatal density, fatty acid contents and leaf hairiness) and analyzed the variability in traits within the canopy in relation to PAH concentrations. We observed high intra-individual variability in the PAH concentrations and the leaf traits. Statistical analyses revealed that leaf height was the main source of variability both in the PAH concentrations and in the traits, mainly due to the leaf morphology, particularly to the SLA. Therefore, the ideal vegetation to remove PAHs would be high leaf biomass trees, not too tall and with a high proportion of shade leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Giráldez
- CRETUS, Department of Functional Biology, Ecology Unit, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain.
| | - Zulema Varela
- CRETUS, Department of Functional Biology, Ecology Unit, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Antonio Di Guardo
- Department of Science and High Technology (DiSAT), University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, Como 21100, Italy
| | - Elisa Terzaghi
- Department of Science and High Technology (DiSAT), University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, Como 21100, Italy
| | - María Celeiro
- CRETUS, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Carmen García-Jares
- CRETUS, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - J Ángel Fernández
- CRETUS, Department of Functional Biology, Ecology Unit, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Jesús R Aboal
- CRETUS, Department of Functional Biology, Ecology Unit, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
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Kostić S, Kebert M, Teslić N, Stojanović DB, Zorić M, Kovačević B, Orlović S. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) phytoaccumulation in urban areas by Platanus × acerifolia, Celtis australis, and Tilia grandifolia leaves and branches. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-33280-3. [PMID: 38632198 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33280-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in the leaves and 1-year-old branches of three common tree species growing in a middle-sized city located in a moderate climate zone were estimated. For this purpose, PAH phytoaccumulation in Platanus × acerifolia, Celtis australis, and Tilia grandifolia species from highly urbanized, traffic congested, and highly PAH-contaminated streets was compared with trees from non-contaminated parks in the same urban core. The gathered data was used to define 17 PAH profiles, identify the main PAH pollution emission sources, and determine the organ and species specificity of PAHs accumulation. Due to the direct absorption of polluted air via stomata, the leaves accumulated up to 30% more PAHs compared to the 1-year-old branches. As expected, PAH concentrations were much higher in street trees, while heavy weight PAHs (with five and six rings) were accumulated in the highest concentrations. The highest foliar Σ17 PAH concentrations were detected in street-grown C. australis, followed by P. acerifolia and T. grandifolia (502.68, 488.45, and 339.47 ng g-1 dry weight (DW), respectively). The same pattern was noted for Σ17 PAHs in branches (414.89, 327.58, and 342.99 ng g-1 DW, respectively). Thus, T. grandifolia emerged as the least effective PAH sink as it accumulated up to ~ 40% less PAHs than P. acerifolia and C. australis leaves/branches. Among the 17 tracked PAHs, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, and pyrene were found to have accumulated in the highest concentrations in all analyzed species irrespective of the site, and accounted for more than 50% of the total detected PAHs. Finally, a "black box" about species and organ specificity, as well as specific drivers that limit PAHs uptake capacity by trees, was opened, while this work provides insights into further PAH phytoremediation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saša Kostić
- Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, University of Novi Sad, Antona Čehova 13d, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia.
| | - Marko Kebert
- Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, University of Novi Sad, Antona Čehova 13d, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Nemanja Teslić
- Institute of Food Technology, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar Cara Lazara 1, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Dejan B Stojanović
- Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, University of Novi Sad, Antona Čehova 13d, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Martina Zorić
- Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, University of Novi Sad, Antona Čehova 13d, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Branislav Kovačević
- Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, University of Novi Sad, Antona Čehova 13d, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Saša Orlović
- Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, University of Novi Sad, Antona Čehova 13d, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
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Benedetti B, Di Carro M, Scapuzzi C, Magi E. Solvent-Free Determination of Selected Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Plant Material Used for Food Supplements Preparation: Optimization of a Solid Phase Microextraction Method. Molecules 2023; 28:5937. [PMID: 37630189 PMCID: PMC10459292 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28165937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The exploitation of waste and by-products in various applications is becoming a cornerstone of the circular economy. A range of biomasses can be employed to produce food supplements. An example is a particular extract obtained from plant buds (rich in bioactive molecules), which can be easily retrieved from cities' pruning. In order to safely use this material, its possible contamination by organic pollutants needs to be estimated. A green and simple method to detect priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bud samples by head space solid phase microextraction coupled to GC-MS was developed. This strategy, optimized through experimental design and response surface methodology, requires a minimal sample pre-treatment and negligible solvent consumption. The final method was found to be accurate and sensitive for PAHs with mass up to 228 Da. For these analytes, satisfactory figures of merit were achieved, with detection limits in the range 1-4 ng g-1, good inter-day precision (relative standard deviation in the range 4-11%), and satisfactory accuracy (88-105%), along with specificity guaranteed by the selected ion monitoring detection. The method was applied to bud samples coming from differently polluted areas, thus helping in estimating the safety of their use for the production of food supplements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Emanuele Magi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, 16146 Genoa, Italy; (B.B.); (M.D.C.); (C.S.)
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Abugu HO, Ezugwu AL, Ihedioha JN. Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Contamination of Fruits, Leaves, and Soil within Automobile Repair Workshops in Nsukka Metropolis. Polycycl Aromat Compd 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10406638.2022.2149567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hillary Onyeka Abugu
- Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
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Zhao Z, He W, Wu R, Xu F. Distribution and Relationships of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Soils and Plants near Major Lakes in Eastern China. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10100577. [PMID: 36287857 PMCID: PMC9607041 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10100577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The distributions and correlations among polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils and plants were analyzed. In this study, 9 soil samples and 44 plant samples were collected near major lakes (Hongze Lake, Luoma Lake, Chaohu, Changhu, Danjiangkou Reservoir, Wuhan East Lake, Longgan Lake, Qiandao Lake and Liangzi Lake) in eastern China. The following results were obtained: The total contents of PAHs in soil varied from 99.17 to 552.10 ng/g with an average of 190.35 ng/g, and the total contents of PAHs in plants varied from 122.93 to 743.44 ng/g, with an average of 274.66 ng/g. The PAHs in soil were dominated by medium- and low-molecular-weight PAHs, while the PAHs in plants were dominated by low-molecular-weight PAHs. The proportion of high-molecular-weight PAHs was the lowest in both soil and plants. Diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) identified combustion as the main source of PAHs in soil and plants. The plant PAH monomer content was negatively correlated with Koa. Acenaphthylene, anthracene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene were significantly correlated in plants and soil. In addition, no significant correlation between the total contents of the 16 PAHs and the content of high-, medium-, and low-molecular-weight PAHs in plants and soil was found. Bidens pilosa L. and Gaillardia pulchella Foug in the Compositae family and cron in the Poaceae family showed relatively stronger accumulation of PAHs, indicating their potential for phytoremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Zhao
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wei He
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources & Environmental Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing100083, China
| | - Ruilin Wu
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Fuliu Xu
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Correspondence:
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