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Morelli G, Ciani F, Cocozza C, Costagliola P, Fagotti C, Friani R, Lattanzi P, Manca R, Monnanni A, Nannoni A, Rimondi V. Riparian trees in mercury contaminated riverbanks: An important resource for sustainable remediation management. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 257:119373. [PMID: 38852831 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119373] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Mining operations generate sediment erosion rates above those of natural landscapes, causing persistent contamination of floodplains. Riparian vegetation in mine-impacted river catchments plays a key role in the storage/remobilization of metal contaminants. Mercury (Hg) pollution from mining is a global environmental challenge. This study provides an integrative assessment of Hg storage in riparian trees and soils along the Paglia River (Italy) which drains the abandoned Monte Amiata Hg mining district, the 3rd former Hg producer worldwide, to characterize their role as potential secondary Hg source to the atmosphere in case of wildfire or upon anthropic utilization as biomass. In riparian trees and nearby soils Hg ranged between 0.7 and 59.9 μg/kg and 2.2 and 52.8 mg/kg respectively. In trees Hg concentrations were below 100 μg/kg, a recommended Hg limit for the quality of solid biofuels. Commercially, Hg contents in trees have little impact on the value of the locally harvested biomass and pose no risk to human health, although higher values (195-738 μg/kg) were occasionally found. In case of wildfire, up to 1.4*10-3 kg Hg/ha could be released from trees and 27 kg Hg/ha from soil in the area, resulting in an environmentally significant Hg pollution source. Data constrained the contribution of riparian trees to the biogeochemical cycling of Hg highlighting their role in management and restoration plans of river catchments affected by not-remediable Hg contamination. In polluted river catchments worldwide riparian trees represent potential sustainable resources for the mitigation of dispersion of Hg in the ecosystem, considering i) their Hg storage capacity, ii) their potential to be used for local energy production (e.g. wood-chips) through the cultivation and harvesting of biomasses and, iii) their role in limiting soil erosion from riparian polluted riverbanks, probably representing the best pragmatic choice to minimize the transport of toxic elements to the sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guia Morelli
- CNR - Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira 4, Florence, 50121, Italy
| | - Francesco Ciani
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, Florence, 50121, Italy.
| | - Claudia Cocozza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali (DAGRI), Italy
| | - Pilario Costagliola
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, Florence, 50121, Italy
| | - Cesare Fagotti
- ARPA Toscana-Area Vasta Sud, Loc. Ruffolo, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Rossella Friani
- ARPA Toscana-Area Vasta Sud, Loc. Ruffolo, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Pierfranco Lattanzi
- CNR - Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira 4, Florence, 50121, Italy
| | - Rosarosa Manca
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, Florence, 50121, Italy
| | - Alessio Monnanni
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, Florence, 50121, Italy
| | - Alessia Nannoni
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, Florence, 50121, Italy
| | - Valentina Rimondi
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, Florence, 50121, Italy
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Franzaring J, Haneke J, Sannino A, Radermacher G, Schweiger A. Effects of legacy mining on mercury concentrations in conifer needles and mushrooms in northern Palatinate, Germany. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 357:124406. [PMID: 38925211 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Due to integrated pollution prevention and control measures and the reduced burning of coal, air concentrations of mercury (Hg0) are currently levelling off. In the future, however, evasion from land surfaces will probably reverse this trend. Reasons are the rising temperatures and the loss of forest cover caused by calamities, droughts, storms and wildfires. Plant leaves constitute an important matrix for the accumulation of gaseous mercury and uptake and re-volatilisation by plants depends on the species, the vitality and the age and morphology of leaf organs. It has been shown that older conifer needles show higher concentrations than young needles and Hg accumulation is increasing throughout the season. In present study, we collected branches from Norway Spruce (Picea abies) in a former cinnabar mining region in Northern Palatinate, where artisanal and small-scale mining left innumerable waste dumps. While mining, smelting and processing of the ores were terminated during WWII, high total mercury concentrations remained in the top soils locally, with presumably only small fractions being plant available. In the lab, up to seven needle age classes were analysed. 1000 needle weights increased with age and as expected, also the Hg concentrations were elevated in the older needles. Needle concentrations were higher than those reported from other national biomonitoring programs confirming the regional imprint from legacy mercury. To complement our biomonitoring study, we collected edible mushrooms in former mining areas. Hg concentrations in most samples exceeded the EU maximum residue levels (MRL), while only a few broke the existing cadmium and lead limits. Tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for inorganic mercury would be surpassed with the consumption of a small portion of mushrooms. Further studies should be performed on the outgassing of Hg from mine wastes and the incorporation of Hg in the local food web, including its methylation and biomagnification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Franzaring
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, Department of Plant Ecology, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Jost Haneke
- The Palatinate Mining Museum Imsbach e.V., Imsbach, Germany
| | - Adele Sannino
- Core Facility Hohenheim (CFH), Analytical Chemistry Unit, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Georg Radermacher
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Schweiger
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, Department of Plant Ecology, Stuttgart, Germany
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Yuan T, Huang S, Zhang P, Song Z, Ge J, Miao X, Wang Y, Pang Q, Peng D, Wu P, Shao J, Zhang P, Wang Y, Guo H, Guo W, Zhang Y. Potential decoupling of CO 2 and Hg uptake process by global vegetation in the 21st century. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4490. [PMID: 38802424 PMCID: PMC11130250 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48849-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Mercury (Hg), a potent neurotoxin posing risks to human health, is cycled through vegetation uptake, which is susceptible to climate change impacts. However, the extent and pattern of these impacts are largely unknown, obstructing predictions of Hg's fate in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we evaluate the effects of climate change on vegetation elemental Hg [Hg(0)] uptake using a state-of-the-art global terrestrial Hg model (CLM5-Hg) that incorporates plant physiology. In a business-as-usual scenario, the terrestrial Hg(0) sink is predicted to decrease by 1870 Mg yr-1 in 2100, that is ~60% lower than the present-day condition. We find a potential decoupling between the trends of CO2 assimilation and Hg(0) uptake process by vegetation in the 21st century, caused by the decreased stomatal conductance with increasing CO2. This implies a substantial influx of Hg into aquatic ecosystems, posing an elevated threat that warrants consideration during the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Yuan
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shaojian Huang
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhengcheng Song
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun Ge
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xin Miao
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yujuan Wang
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiaotong Pang
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dong Peng
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peipei Wu
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Junjiong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peipei Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Yabo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Hongyan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weidong Guo
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanxu Zhang
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
- Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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Navrátil T, Rohovec J, Nováková T, Roll M, Cudlín P, Oulehle F. Quarter century of mercury litterfall at a coniferous forest responding to climate change, Central Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:34936-34952. [PMID: 38717703 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33555-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
This work evaluated the 25-year-long trends (1994-2018) in mercury (Hg) concentrations and fluxes in spruce litterfall at a forest research plot Načetín (NAC) recovering from acidic deposition in the Ore Mountains, Czech Republic. The mean litterfall Hg deposition averaged 51 ± 18 µg m-2 year-1, which has been the highest litterfall Hg deposition reported up to date on the European continent. In contrast, the wet deposition (2017-2019) was an order of magnitude lower averaging at 2.5 ± 1.5 µg m-2 year-1. All the spruce litterfall components bark, twigs, needles, cones, and a mixture of unidentified fragments had elevated mean Hg concentrations relative to background sites averaging 256 ± 77, 234 ± 62, 119 ± 23, 95 ± 14, and 44 ± 15 µg kg-1, respectively. Elevated litterfall Hg deposition and concentrations were attributed to the nearby local Hg emission source-coal-fired power plants. Temporally, the decrease of Czech Hg emissions since the 1990s was reflected by the decreasing trend of Hg concentrations in litterfall bark, cones, and twigs, while in needles and other material, Hg increased but insignificantly. Total litterfall ratios of Hg/C, Hg/N, and Hg/S were lower than those in soil O horizons averaging at 0.23 ± 0.04, 9.5 ± 2.0, and 170 ± 37 μg g-1, respectively. Since the beginning of monitoring, total litterfall Hg/C exhibited no trend, Hg/N decreased, and Hg/S increased. The litterfall biomass deposition averaging at 469 ± 176 g m-2 year-1 increased through time resulting in an increased Hg litterfall deposition at NAC by 1.1 µg m-2 year-1 despite the decreases in Czech Hg emissions. Peaks of annual litterfall Hg deposition up to 96 µg m-2 year-1 at NAC during the 25 years of monitoring resulted from weather extremes such as rime-snow accumulation, wind gusts, droughts, and insect infestation, which all significantly affected the annual biomass deposition. Based on our observations, further increases in biomass and litterfall Hg deposition rates can be expected due to the onset of bark beetle infestation and the increasing number of droughts caused by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Navrátil
- Institute of Geology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Rohovec
- Institute of Geology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Nováková
- Institute of Geology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Roll
- Institute of Geology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Cudlín
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Poříčí 3B, 60 300, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Oulehle
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Poříčí 3B, 60 300, Brno, Czech Republic
- Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 3, 118 21, Prague 1, Czech Republic
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Jashim ZB, Shahrukh S, Hossain SA, Jahan-E-Gulshan, Huda MN, Islam MM, Hossain ME. Biomonitoring potentially toxic elements in atmospheric particulate matter of greater Dhaka region using leaves of higher plants. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:468. [PMID: 38656463 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12612-3] [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: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
In this study, four different plant species, namely Artocarpus heterophyllus, Mangifera indica, Psidium guajava, and Swietenia mahagoni, were selected from seven different locations to assess the feasibility of using them as a cost-effective alternative for biomonitoring air quality. Atmospheric coarse particulate matter (PM10), soil samples, and leaf samples were collected from residential, industrial, and traffic-congested sites located in the greater Dhaka region. The heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the leaves of the different species, PM10, and soil samples were analyzed. The highest Pb (718 ng/m3) and Zn (15,956 ng/m3) concentrations were found in PM10 of Kodomtoli which is an industrial area. On the other hand, the highest Fe (6,152 ng/m3) and Ni (61.1 ng/m3) concentrations were recorded in the PM10 of Gabtoli, a heavy-traffic area. A significant positive correlation (r = 0.74; p < 0.01) between Pb content in plant leaves and PM fraction was found which indicated that atmospheric PM-bound Pb may contribute to the uptake of Pb by plant leaves. The analysis of the enrichment factor (EF) revealed that soils were contaminated with Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The abaxial leaf surfaces of Psidium guajava growing at the polluted site exhibited up to a 40% decrease in stomatal pores compared to the control site. Saet's summary index (Zc) demonstrated that Mangifera indica had the highest bioaccumulation capacity. The metal accumulation index (MAI) was also evaluated to assess the overall metal accumulation capacity of the selected plants. Of the four species, Swietenia mahagoni (3.05) exhibited the highest MAI value followed by Mangifera indica (2.97). Mangifera indica and Swietenia mahagoni were also found to accumulate high concentrations of Pb and Cr in their leaves and are deemed to be good candidates to biomonitor Pb and Cr contents in ambient air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuairia Binte Jashim
- Department of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Saif Shahrukh
- Department of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Shahid Akhtar Hossain
- Department of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Jahan-E-Gulshan
- Department of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Muhammad Nurul Huda
- Centre for Advanced Research in Sciences, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Md Mominul Islam
- Department of Chemistry, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
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Liu J, Dong L, Zhou L, Yang W, Shi S, Dong S, Zhang H, Zhang X, Guo J, Zhang L. Tree barks for retrospective measurement and source appointment of airborne perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 344:123346. [PMID: 38215867 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123346] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Tree bark is a useful bioindicator of atmospheric pollution. It is specially suitable for airborne perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) investigation due to persistence of ionic PFASs. The present work firstly systematically studied tree barks as a bioindicator of airborne PFASs. Comparison with the regular active and passive samplers found barks could produce long-term measurement of airborne PFASs, and could record the historical emission of PFASs with retrospective time frame as long as decades. Factors, e.g. tree type, trunk diameter, and sampling depth, can affect PFAS accumulation in barks, and these factors should be kept consistent during sampling. In a study area spatial distribution of airborne PFASs can be obtained by interpolation of bark results, and the concerned region can be located. Properties of the emission sources can be characterized, and the potential sources can be tracked based on the bark results. Their contributions can be further estimated by the source appointment strategies. In the economically and industrially developed study area of the present study, eight cities of southern Jiangsu Province of China, total ionic PFAS concentration of camphor bark samples collected in 34 sites was 0.44-359 ng/g dw (dry weight), dominated by perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs). Two types of possible sources were characterized as with long-chained PFCAs and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) as the main components respectively. The sources were appointed as fluoropolymer manufacturing and textile industries, the important PFAS application fields, and their relative contribution was estimated as 32.5% and 67.5% respectively. The present study can provide useful advice to the method framework of using barks for long-term occurrence investigation, concerned region location, and emission source appointment of airborne PFASs in a study area. Based on the bark results, effective strategies can be further made for PFAS pollution elimination and risk control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlin Liu
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China.
| | - Liang Dong
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Li Zhou
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Wenlong Yang
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Shuangxin Shi
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Shuping Dong
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Hui Zhang
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Xiulan Zhang
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Jing Guo
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Lifei Zhang
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, PR China
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Wang D, Li Z, Wang Q. Estimation of mercury uptake and distinction of corn cultivation in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167508. [PMID: 37788774 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167508] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Corn cultivation potentially plays a vital role in the global mercury (Hg) biogeochemical cycle. Nevertheless, there have been limited studies quantifying the Hg mass flow during corn cultivation. This study focuses on Hg uptake by corn plants in China, integrating data from both sample collection and prior studies, resulting in 400 datasets. The findings reveal that the Hg in corn plants is mainly incorporated in leaves (45.5 %-47.5 %) and husks (14.5 %-15.7 %). Despite a decrease in total gaseous Hg (TGM) concentrations in the atmosphere over time, annual Hg uptake by corn cultivation in China has risen from 72.0 (ranging from 47.6 to 96.3) tons (2009-2014) to 84.3 (ranging from 51.9 to 109.6) tons (2015-2020) due to the increasing in corn kernel production. Spatial analysis demonstrates regional disparities in Hg uptake, primarily influenced by corn kernel production, TGM levels, and soil Hg content. Furthermore, temporal analysis reveals a shift in the fate of Hg in corn plants, which can be attributed to variations in corn straw treatment policy or methods. From 2009 to 2014, a substantial amount of absorbed Hg by corn plants was re-released into the atmosphere (48.9 %) due to corn residues burning, whereas, between 2015 and 2020, a greater proportion of Hg ended up accumulating in the soil (51.1 %) after the imposition of the straw burning ban in China. Prior to the ban (2009-2014), corn cultivation contributed approximately 7.7 tons of Hg input to soil annually, with a range from 1.7 to 13.5. However, following the ban (2015-2020), Hg input into the soil increased by approximately 4.5 times, reaching 34.5 (ranging from 17.5 to 52.6) tons per year. These findings emphasize the significant risks associated with soil Hg pollution caused by corn cultivation due to the straw burning ban.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Department of Resources and Environment, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi 563006, PR China
| | - Zhonggen Li
- Department of Resources and Environment, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi 563006, PR China
| | - Qingfeng Wang
- Department of Resources and Environment, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi 563006, PR China.
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Ciani F, Fornasaro S, Benesperi R, Bianchi E, Cabassi J, Di Nuzzo L, Grifoni L, Venturi S, Costagliola P, Rimondi V. Mercury accumulation efficiency of different biomonitors in indoor environments: the case study of the Central Italian Herbarium (Florence, Italy). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:124232-124244. [PMID: 37999838 PMCID: PMC10746580 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31105-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Biomonitoring studies are often employed to track airborne pollutants both in outdoor and indoor environments. In this study, the mercury (Hg) sorption by three biomonitors, i.e., Pinus nigra bark, Pseudovernia furfuracea lichen, and Hypnum cupressiforme moss, was investigated in controlled (indoor) conditions. In comparison to outdoor environments, controlled conditions offer the opportunity to investigate more in detail the variables (humidity, temperature, pollutants speciation, etc.) that control Hg uptake. The biomonitors were exposed in two distinct periods of the year for 2 and 12 months respectively, in the halls of the Central Italian Herbarium (Natural History Museum of the University of Florence, Italy), which are polluted by Hg, due to past plant sample treatments. The Hg sorption trend was monitored every 3 weeks by recording: (i) the Hg content in the substrata, (ii) gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentrations in the exposition halls, (iii) temperature, (iv) humidity, and (v) particulate matter (PM) concentrations. At the end of the experiment, Hg concentrations in the biomonitors range from 1130 ± 201 to 293 ± 45 μg kg-1 (max-min) in barks, from 3470 ± 571 to 648 ± 40 μg kg-1 in lichens, and from 3052 ± 483 to 750 ± 127 μg kg-1 in mosses. All the biomonitors showed the highest Hg accumulation after the first 3 weeks of exposure. Mercury concentrations increased over time showing a continuous accumulation during the experiments. The biomonitors demonstrated different Hg accumulation trends in response to GEM concentrations and to the different climatic conditions (temperature and humidity) of the Herbarium halls. Barks strictly reflected the gaseous Hg pollution, while lichen and moss accumulation was also influenced by the climatic conditions of the indoor environment. Mercury bound to PM seemed to provide a negligible contribution to the biomonitors final uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ciani
- Department of Earth Science, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Fornasaro
- Department of Earth Science, University of Pisa, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Renato Benesperi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Bianchi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Jacopo Cabassi
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Luca Di Nuzzo
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Lisa Grifoni
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Stefania Venturi
- Department of Earth Science, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Pilario Costagliola
- Department of Earth Science, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Rimondi
- Department of Earth Science, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy.
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Sa R, Wang Z, Xu Z, Zhao Q, Zhang Q, Zhang X. Distribution characteristics of mercury concentration and estimation of mercury pools in different age groups of Larix gmelinii forests of Daxing'an Mountain. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 338:122653. [PMID: 37778492 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122653] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Forests are important sinks of atmospheric mercury. Quantifying mercury pools in forest ecosystem tissues are essential for understanding the global mercury cycle. To reveal the characteristics of Hg concentration and Hg pool distribution in natural forests at different ages, samples from the vegetation layer, organic horizons, coarse wood debris, and mineral soil layers were collected in young forest, middle forest, near-mature forest, and mature forest of Larix gmelinii forests at the Daxing'an Mountain. The results showed that there were differences in the absorption and accumulation of Hg by different tree species and tissues. In Larix gmelinii, the concentration of Hg followed the order of bark > branch > leaf > root > core, whereas in Betula platyphylla, the order was bark > leaf > branch > root > core. The mercury concentration in the organic horizons increased gradually with the decomposition process. There were no obvious regular patterns in the mercury concentrations of each tissue in different age groups Larix gmelinii forests. Furthermore, total biomass mercury pools (overstory, shrub layer, herb layer, moss layer, and coarse woody debris (CWD)) in the young, middle, near-mature, and mature forests of Larix gmelinii forests at Daxing'an Mountain were estimated to be 99.0 μg m-2,207 μg m-2,207 μg m-2 and 194 μg m-2, respectively. On ecosystem scale, total mercury pools were 16.9 mg m-2 (young), 27.5 mg m-2 (middle), 17.0 mg m-2 (near-mature), and 11.8 mg m-2(mature). The mineral soil mercury pool accounts for 94.0%-98.1% of the total ecosystem mercury pool, and its mercury pool proportion gradually decreased with the increase in forest age. These obtained results are quite valuable for further assessing the role of forest ecosystems in the atmospheric mercury cycle and estimating potential mercury emissions from biomass burning during forest wildfires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rula Sa
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Inner Mongolia Power (Group) Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia Power Research Institute Branch, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 010020, China
| | - Zhangwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Zehua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qingpeng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiuliang Zhang
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010019, China; National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Greater Khingan Forest Ecosystem, Inner Mongolia, Genhe, 022350, China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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10
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Chu Z, Zhou Y, Liu M, Lin H, Cheng M, Xie H, Yuan L, Zhang Z, Zhang Q, Li C, Chen Y, Guo Y, Chen L, Wang X. Large-Scale Observations Support Aboveground Vegetation as an Important Biological Mercury Sink in the Tibetan Plateau. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:17278-17290. [PMID: 37919873 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury, a pervasive global pollutant, primarily enters the atmosphere through human activities and legacy emissions from the land and oceans. A significant portion of this mercury subsequently settles on land through vegetation uptake. Characterizing mercury storage and distribution within vegetation is essential for comprehending regional and global mercury cycles. We conducted an unprecedented large-scale aboveground vegetation mercury survey across the expansive Tibetan Plateau. We find that mosses (31.1 ± 0.5 ng/g) and cushion plants (15.2 ± 0.7 ng/g) outstood high mercury concentrations. Despite exceptionally low anthropogenic mercury emissions, mercury concentrations of all biomes exceeded at least one-third of their respective global averages. While acknowledging the role of plant physiological factors, statistical models emphasize the predominant impact of atmospheric mercury on driving variations in mercury concentrations. Our estimations indicate that aboveground vegetation on the plateau accumulates 32-12+21 Mg (interquartile range) mercury. Forests occupy the highest biomass and store 82% of mercury, while mosses, representing only 3% of the biomass, disproportionally contribute 13% to mercury storage and account for 43% (2.5-1.4+3.0 Mg/year) of annual mercury assimilation by vegetation. Additionally, our study underscores that extrapolating aboveground vegetation mercury storage from lower-altitude regions to the Tibetan Plateau can lead to substantial overestimation, inspiring further exploration in alpine ecosystems worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohan Chu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yunzhuo Zhou
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Maodian Liu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Huiming Lin
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Menghan Cheng
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Han Xie
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Liuliang Yuan
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Qianru Zhang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chengcheng Li
- Modern Chinese Literature, Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yuang Chen
- Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Yanpei Guo
- Institute of Ecology, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes and College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Long Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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11
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Gačnik J, Gustin MS. Tree rings as historical archives of atmospheric mercury: A critical review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165562. [PMID: 37454835 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Historical concentrations of atmospheric mercury (Hg) are uncertain, as monitoring only began a few decades ago. Tree rings can serve as historical archives of Hg, providing centennial trends. The vast majority of tree-ring Hg studies have been published in the last decade, demonstrating the growing use of tree rings for Hg dendrochemistry. Thus, there is a need for a systematic review on current knowledge of tree rings as archives of atmospheric Hg. In this review, the predominant pathways of Hg uptake to tree rings are discussed, including the initial Hg uptake from the surrounding environment, fixation, and subsequent translocation. Foliar uptake of Hg was found to be the most important uptake route for Hg in tree rings, the root and bark route being negligible. Our summary of the suitability of different tree species indicates that radial translocation is the biggest limiting factor for Hg dendrochemistry, shifting and blurring historical Hg trends. Based on the review findings, Picea (spruce) and Larix (larch) are the most promising genera for Hg dendrochemistry. Additionally, the use of tree-ring Hg archives in combination with other co-located archives, namely lake sediments, peat, and ice, is suggested as it enhances the viability of observed tree-ring historical Hg trends. Finally, we propose future directions and recommendations for research using tree-ring Hg, including sampling protocols, experimental designs, and tree selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Gačnik
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, USA.
| | - Mae Sexauer Gustin
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, USA
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12
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Meloni F, Farieri A, Higueras PL, Esbrí JM, Nisi B, Cabassi J, Rappuoli D, Vaselli O. Mercury distribution in plants and soils from the former mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, Central Italy). ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:8523-8538. [PMID: 37648955 PMCID: PMC10611595 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01739-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The distribution of heavy metals in plants (Castanea sativa, Sambucus nigra, Verbascum thapsus, Popolus spp., Salix spp., Acer pseudoplatanus, Robinia pseudoacacia) growing in soils from active and abandoned mining areas is of scientific significance as it allows to recognize their ability to survive in a hostile environment and provide useful indications for phytoremediation operations. In this work, soils from the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, Central Italy) were analyzed for total, leached Hg, % of organic and inorganic-related Hg. The dehydrogenase enzyme activity (DHA) was also measured with the aim to evaluate the status of the soil, being characterized by high Hg contents (up to 1068 mg kg-1). Eventually, the concentration of Hg in the different parts of the plants growing on these soils was also determined. Most studied soils were dominated by inorganic Hg (up to 92%) while the DHA concentrations were < 151 µg TPF g-1 day-1, suggesting that the presence of Hg is not significantly affecting the enzymatic soil activity. This is also supported by the bioaccumulation factor (BF), being predominantly characterized by values < 1. Sambucus nigra and Verbascum thapsus had the highest Hg contents (39.42 and 54.54 mg kg-1, respectively). The plant leaves appear to be the main pathways of Hg uptake, as also observed in other mining areas, e.g., Almadèn (Spain), indicating that particulate-Hg and Hg0 are the main forms entering the plant system, the latter derived by the GEM emitted by both the edifices hosting the roasting furnaces and the soils themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Meloni
- Department of Earth Sciences, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy.
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy.
| | | | - Pablo L Higueras
- Instituto de Geología Aplicada, EIMIA - Pl. Manuel Meca 1 13400 Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - José M Esbrí
- Departament of Mineralogy and Petrology, (UCM), C. de José Antonio Novais, 12, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Barbara Nisi
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Jacopo Cabassi
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Rappuoli
- Unione Dei Comuni Amiata Val d'Orcia, Unità Di Bonifica, Via Grossetana, 209-53025, Piancastagnaio, Siena, Italy
- Parco Museo Minerario Di Abbadia San Salvatore - Via Suor Gemma, 53021 Abbadia San Salvatore 1, Siena, Italy
| | - Orlando Vaselli
- Department of Earth Sciences, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy.
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy.
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13
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Meloni F, Farieri A, Higueras PL, Esbrí JM, Nisi B, Cabassi J, Rappuoli D, Vaselli O. Mercury distribution in plants and soils from the former mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, central Italy). RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2823040. [PMID: 37131725 PMCID: PMC10153366 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2823040/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The distribution of heavy metals in plants growing in soils from active and abandoned mining areas is of scientific significance as it allows one to recognize their ability to survive in a hostile environment and to provide useful indications for phytoremediation operations. In this work, soils developed in the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, Central Italy) were analyzed for total, leached Hg, % of organic- and inorganic-related Hg. The dehydrogenase enzyme activity (DHA) was also measured with the aim to evaluate the status of the soil, being characterized by high Hg content. Eventually, the concentration of Hg in the different parts of the plants growing on these soils was analyzed. The soils showed Hg content up to 1068 mg kg - 1 and in most of them is dominated by inorganic Hg (up to 92%). The DHA concentrations were < 151 µg TPF g - 1 day - 1 , suggesting that the presence of Hg is not significantly affecting the enzymatic soil activity. This is also supported by the bioaccumulation factor (BF) that is < 1 in most of the studied plants. Generally speaking, the plant leaves appear to be one of the main pathways of Hg uptake, as also observed in other mining areas, e.g. Almaden (Spain), suggesting that particulate-Hg and Hg 0 are the main forms entering the plant system, the latter derived by the GEM emitted by both the edifices hosting the roasting furnaces and the soils themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Barbara Nisi
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources
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14
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Singh AD, Khanna K, Kour J, Dhiman S, Bhardwaj T, Devi K, Sharma N, Kumar P, Kapoor N, Sharma P, Arora P, Sharma A, Bhardwaj R. Critical review on biogeochemical dynamics of mercury (Hg) and its abatement strategies. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 319:137917. [PMID: 36706814 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is among the naturally occurring heavy metal with elemental, organic, and inorganic distributions in the environment. Being considered a global pollutant, high pools of Hg-emissions ranging from >6000 to 8000 Mg Hg/year get accumulated by the natural and anthropogenic activities in the atmosphere. These toxicants have high persistence, toxicity, and widespread contamination in the soil, water, and air resources. Hg accumulation inside the plant parts amplifies the traces of toxic elements in the linking food chains, leads to Hg exposure to humans, and acts as a potential genotoxic, neurotoxic and carcinogenic entity. However, excessive Hg levels are equally toxic to the plant system and severely disrupt the physiological and metabolic processes in plants. Thus, a plausible link between Hg-concentration and its biogeochemical behavior is highly imperative to analyze the plant-soil interactions. Therefore, it is requisite to bring these toxic contaminants in between the acceptable limits to safeguard the environment. Plants efficiently incorporate or absorb the bioavailable Hg from the soil thus a constructive understanding of Hg uptake, translocation/sequestration involving specific heavy metal transporters, and detoxification mechanisms are drawn. Whereas recent investigations in biological remediation of Hg provide insights into the potential associations between the plants and microbes. Furthermore, intense research on Hg-induced antioxidants, protein networks, metabolic mechanisms, and signaling pathways is required to understand these bioremediations techniques. This review sheds light on the mercury (Hg) sources, pollution, biogeochemical cycles, its uptake, translocation, and detoxification methods with respect to its molecular approaches in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Dev Singh
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
| | - Kanika Khanna
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Jaspreet Kour
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Shalini Dhiman
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Tamanna Bhardwaj
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Kamini Devi
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Neerja Sharma
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Pardeep Kumar
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Nitika Kapoor
- P.G. Department of Botany, Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
| | - Priyanka Sharma
- School of Bioengineering Sciences and Research, MIT-ADT University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Priya Arora
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Anket Sharma
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Renu Bhardwaj
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
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15
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Monaci F, Ancora S, Paoli L, Loppi S, Franzaring J. Air quality in post-mining towns: tracking potentially toxic elements using tree leaves. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:843-859. [PMID: 35338402 PMCID: PMC10014763 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-022-01252-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, leaves of the evergreen holm oak Quercus ilex were used to assess airborne contamination of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) at five towns located on the slopes of the Mt. Amiata (central Italy), an area with a long history of mining and, more recently, an important district for the industrial exploitation of geothermal energy. PTE composition and covariance of washed and unwashed Q. ilex leaves of three different ages (6, 12 and 24 month-old) were used to identify atmospheric inputs of PTEs at residential areas, evaluate long-term adsorption and retention of PTEs by the leaves, thus providing an indication of potential human exposure. Moreover, the determination of foliar concentrations of major elements (C, N, S and P) allowed an assessment of the nutritional status of the investigated urban tree stands which excluded the existence of stress condition caused by air pollution or other disturbances. Results indicated that overall Pb, Cu, and Cd concentration were low in the investigated urban sites, if compared with similar studies conducted in larger Italian cities, denoting a low contribution of vehicular traffic to the atmospheric pathway. The five urban settlements were characterized by a specific profile of elements (Al, Ba, Hg and Sb) enriched in unwashed leaves, resulting from the distinct geochemical characteristics of the area and from diffuse (i.e., urban activity) and point sources of PTEs emission (i.e., brownfields, geothermal power plants). The latter sources primarily govern the distribution of Hg, whose contamination was found to be very localized close to a major abandoned mining area. Our data provided quantitative evidence of the spectrum of PTEs potentially impacting resident population and may prove useful in support of follow-up instrumental monitoring campaigns of air quality, as well as for human health and ecological risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Monaci
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, Siena, Italy.
| | - Stefania Ancora
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, Siena, Italy
| | - Luca Paoli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Luca Ghini, 13, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Loppi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, Siena, Italy
| | - Jürgen Franzaring
- Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, Ottilie-Zeller-Weg 2, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
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16
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Méndez-López M, Parente-Sendín A, Calvo-Portela N, Gómez-Armesto A, Eimil-Fraga C, Alonso-Vega F, Arias-Estévez M, Nóvoa-Muñoz JC. Mercury in a birch forest in SW Europe: Deposition flux by litterfall and pools in aboveground tree biomass and soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 856:158937. [PMID: 36167130 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric mercury (Hg) is largely assimilated by vegetation and subsequently transferred to the soil by litterfall, which highlights the role of forests as one of the largest global Hg sinks within terrestrial ecosystems. We assessed the pool of Hg in the aboveground biomass (leaves, wood, bark, branches and twigs), the Hg deposition flux through litterfall over two years (by sorting fallen biomass in leaves, twigs, reproductive structures and miscellaneous) and its accumulation in the soil profile in a deciduous forest dominated by Betula alba from SW Europe. The total Hg pool in the aboveground birch biomass was in the range 532-683 mg ha-1, showing the following distribution by plant tissues: well-developed leaves (171 mg ha-1) > twigs (160 mg ha-1) > bark (159 mg ha-1) > bole wood (145 mg ha-1) > fine branches (25 mg ha-1) > thick branches (24 mg ha-1) > newly sprouted leaves (20 mg ha-1). The total Hg deposition fluxes through litterfall were 15.4 and 11.7 μg m-2 yr-1 for the two years studied, with the greatest contribution coming from birch leaves (73 %). In the soil profile, the pool of Hg in the mineral soil (37.0 mg m-2) was an order of magnitude higher than in the organic horizons (1.0 mg m-2), mostly conditioned by parameters such as soil bulk density and thickness, total C and N contents and the presence of certain Al compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Méndez-López
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain.
| | - Andrea Parente-Sendín
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Noemi Calvo-Portela
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Antía Gómez-Armesto
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Cristina Eimil-Fraga
- Unidad de Gestión Ambiental y Forestal Sostenible, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Benigno Ledo s/n, 27002 Lugo, Spain
| | - Flora Alonso-Vega
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Manuel Arias-Estévez
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Nóvoa-Muñoz
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
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17
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Bardelli F, Rimondi V, Lattanzi P, Rovezzi M, Isaure MP, Giaccherini A, Costagliola P. Pinus nigra bark from a mercury mining district studied with high resolution XANES spectroscopy. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1748-1757. [PMID: 35972271 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00239f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tree bark near former mercury (Hg) mines and roasting plants is known to have exceptionally high (up to several mg kg-1) Hg concentrations. This study explores the change of Hg speciation with depth (down to 25-30 mm from the outermost surface) in black pine (Pinus nigra) bark by means of high-resolution X-ray absorption near edge structure (HR-XANES) spectroscopy at the Hg LIII-edge. Principal component analysis and linear combination fitting applied to the HR-XANES spectra suggested that in the outermost layer (∼0-2 mm from the surface), roughly 50% of Hg is in the form of nanoparticulate metacinnabar (nano-β-HgS). A progressive increase in Hg-organic species (Hg bound to thiol groups) is found in deeper bark layers, while nano-β-HgS may decrease below the detection limit in the deepest layers. Notably, bark layers did not contain cinnabar (α-HgS), which was found in the nearby soils along with β-HgS (bulk), nor Hg0, which is the main Hg species in the atmosphere surrounding the sampled trees. These observations suggested that nano-β-HgS, at least in part, does not originate from mechanically trapped wind-blown particulates from the surrounding soil, but may be the product of biochemical reactions between gaseous elemental Hg and the bark tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mauro Rovezzi
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Irstea, OSUG, FAME, Météo France, Grenoble, France.
| | - Marie-Pierre Isaure
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Pau, France.
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Nováková T, Navrátil T, Schütze M, Rohovec J, Matoušková Š, Hošek M, Matys Grygar T. Reconstructing atmospheric Hg levels near the oldest chemical factory in central Europe using a tree ring archive. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 304:119215. [PMID: 35358634 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119215] [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: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The Chemical Factory in Marktredwitz (CFM) is known as the oldest chemical factory in Germany (1778-1985), and from the beginning of the 20th century focused primarily on the production of mercury (Hg) compounds. Due to extensive pollution, together with employee health issues, the CFM was shut in 1985 by a government order and remediation works proceeded from 1986 to 1993. In this study, tree ring archives of European Larch (Larix decidua Mill.) were used to reconstruct changes of air Hg levels near the CFM. Mercury concentrations in larch boles decreased from 80.6 μg kg-1 at a distance of 0.34 km-3.4 μg kg-1 at a distance of 16 km. The temporal trend of atmospheric Hg emissions from the CFM reconstructed from the tree ring archives showed two main peaks. The first was in the 1920s, with a maximum tree ring Hg concentration 249.1 ± 43.9 μg kg-1 coinciding with when the factory had a worldwide monopoly on the production of Hg-based seed dressing fungicide. The second peak in the 1970s, with a maximum tree ring Hg concentration of 116.4 ± 6.3 μg kg-1, was associated with a peak in the general usage and production of Hg chemicals and goods. We used the tree ring record to reconstruct past atmospheric Hg levels using a simple model of Hg distribution between the larch tree rings and atmosphere. The precision of the tree ring model was checked against the results of air Hg measurements during the CFM remediation 30 years ago. According to the tree ring archives, the highest air Hg concentrations in the 1920s in Marktredwitz were over 70 ng m-3. Current air Hg levels of 1.18 ng m-3, assessed in the city of Marktredwitz, indicate the lowest air Hg in the past 150 years, underscoring the effective remediation of the CFM premises 30 years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Nováková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Navrátil
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Martin Schütze
- Institut für Geoökologie, AG Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19C, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jan Rohovec
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Šárka Matoušková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hošek
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 250 01, Řež, Czech Republic; Faculty of Environment, J.E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Pasteurova 3632/15, 400 96, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Matys Grygar
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 250 01, Řež, Czech Republic
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19
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Mapping Atmospheric Mercury in Lampung Province, Indonesia Using Bark of Multipurpose Tree Species. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The use of mercury in gold refining causes air pollution and results in the contamination of multipurpose tree species (MPTS). Tree bark has properties that cause it to store mercury for quite a long time. The purpose of this study was to determine mercury contamination of MPTS and map the mercury contamination distribution in the atmosphere using tree barks as bioindicators. Sampling was performed using purposive sampling. The mercury concentration was obtained by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and the highest THg contents were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The analysis was carried out by gauging total mercury (THg), distance, elevation to THg, and interpolation of THg at the research site. The results showed that there were 10 types of MPTS trees whose bark could accumulate mercury. The bark of the Tamarindus indica tree stored the greatest amount of THg (74.4 µg dry weight (DW)), followed by Persea americana (58.7 µg DW), and Annona muricata (44.2 µg DW), respectively. This result was influenced by the roughness of the bark and the location of the plants. No correlation was found between distance and elevation to THg on tree bark. The mercury interpolation in the atmosphere showed that mercury moves from the purification point to the southeast of the purification location.
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20
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Zhou J, Obrist D. Global Mercury Assimilation by Vegetation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:14245-14257. [PMID: 34617727 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Assimilation of mercury (Hg) by vegetation represents one of the largest global environmental Hg mass fluxes. We estimate Hg assimilation by vegetation globally via a bottom-up scaling approach using tissue Hg concentrations synthesized from a comprehensive database multiplied by respective annual biomass production (NPP). As global annual NPP is close to annual vegetation die-off, Hg mass associated with global NPP approximates the transfer of Hg from plants to soils, which represents an estimate of vegetation-mediated atmospheric deposition. Annual vegetation assimilation of Hg from combined atmospheric and soil uptake is estimated at 3062 ± 607 Mg yr-1, which is composed of 2491 ± 551 Mg yr-1 from aboveground tissue uptake and 571 ± 253 Mg yr-1 from root uptake. Assimilation of atmospheric Hg amounts to 2422 ± 483 Mg yr-1 when considering aboveground tissues only. Atmospheric assimilation increases to 2705 ± 504 Mg yr-1 when considering that root Hg may be partially derived from prior foliar uptake and transported internally to roots. Estimated atmospheric Hg assimilation by vegetation is 54-137% larger than the current model and litterfall estimates, largely because of the inclusion of lichens, mosses, and woody tissues in deposition and all global biomes. Belowground, about 50% of root Hg was taken up from soils with currently unknown ecological and biogeochemical consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhou
- Department of Environmental, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Daniel Obrist
- Department of Environmental, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
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21
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Woś B, Gruba P, Socha J, Pietrzykowski M. Biomonitoring of Mercury Contamination in Poland Based on Its Concentration in Scots Pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) Foliage. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph181910366. [PMID: 34639665 PMCID: PMC8507935 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This work evaluates current mercury (Hg) contamination in Poland, represented by the Hg concentrations in Scots pine foliage. Samples were collected over 295 investigation plots in monitoring grids throughout Poland, from pines aged between 12 and 147 years. Analyses were conducted with consideration of bioclimatic factors and soil properties. Concentrations in the pine foliage did not exceed the values characteristic of an ecosystem unaffected by industrial pollution, ranging from 0.0032 to 0.0252 mg kg−1 dry mass. However, pine stands located in western and central Poland, and in the northwest near the Baltic Sea, exhibited higher Hg concentrations in foliage than in eastern regions. Hg content in foliage depends on the mean temperature of the driest quarter, as well as on Hg content in soils. This indicates that the periods of drought observed in recent years in Poland may affect Hg concentrations in pine foliage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartłomiej Woś
- Department of Ecology and Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland; (P.G.); (M.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Piotr Gruba
- Department of Ecology and Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland; (P.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Jarosław Socha
- Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Marcin Pietrzykowski
- Department of Ecology and Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland; (P.G.); (M.P.)
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Nováková T, Navrátil T, Demers JD, Roll M, Rohovec J. Contrasting tree ring Hg records in two conifer species: Multi-site evidence of species-specific radial translocation effects in Scots pine versus European larch. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:144022. [PMID: 33360336 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Tree ring records are increasingly being used as a geochemical archive of past atmospheric mercury (Hg) pollution. However, it is not clear whether all tree species can be used reliably for this purpose. We compared tree-ring Hg records of two coniferous species - widely used Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and less frequently used European larch (Larix decidua) at 6 study sites across the Czech Republic. Site-specific mean Hg concentrations in tree-ring segments of larch ranged from 2.1 to 5.2 μg kg-1, whereas pine had higher mean Hg concentrations (3.6-8.3 μg kg-1). Temporal records of Hg concentrations in tree rings of larch and pine differed significantly. Comparisons with previously documented peat Hg records showed that larch tree-ring Hg records more closely agreed with peat archive records. For pines, which had a large, tree-age dependent number of sapwood rings (62 ± 17, 1SD), we found a strong relationship between the year of peak Hg and the number of sapwood tree rings (p = 0.012, r2 = 0.35), as well as between peak Hg year and the sapwood-heartwood boundary year (p < 0.001, r2 = 0.65), rather than with temporal changes in atmospheric Hg levels. The much greater number of pine sapwood tree rings appears to promote radial Hg translocation, resulting in the shift of Hg peaks backward in time through the tree-ring record. In contrast, Larch consistently had a low number of sapwood tree rings (19 ± 6, 1SD), and more closely agreed with peat Hg records. This study suggests that European larch, a tree species characterized by a relatively low and consistent number of sapwood tree rings, records changes in atmospheric Hg concentrations more reliably than does Scots pine, a species with a relatively high and variable number of sapwood tree rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Nováková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Tomáš Navrátil
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jason D Demers
- University of Michigan, 1100 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Michal Roll
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Rohovec
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
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23
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Discontinuous Geochemical Monitoring of the Galleria Italia Circumneutral Waters (Former Hg-Mining Area of Abbadia San Salvatore, Tuscany, Central Italy) Feeding the Fosso Della Chiusa Creek. ENVIRONMENTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/environments8020015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The Galleria Italia waters drain the complex tunnel system of the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, central Italia) and feed the 2.5 km-long Fosso della Chiusa creek. The mining exploitation was active for more than one century and more than 100,000 tons of liquid mercury were produced by roasting processes of cinnabar (HgS). In this work, a discontinuous geochemical monitoring of the Galleria Italia circumneutral waters was carried out from February 2009 to October 2020, during which the main physicochemical parameters, main and minor dissolved species and trace elements (including Hg) were determined. In the observation period, significant variations in the water chemistry were recorded, particularly when flooding waves, due to intense precipitations, occurred, with the two main events being recorded in February 2009 and January 2010. The chemical composition of the Galleria Italia waters was Ca(Mg)-SO4 and related to congruent dissolution of gypsum/anhydrite at which a contribution from carbonatic and silicatic minerals and partial solubilization of CO2 and and H2S oxidation is to be added. Regarding the trace elements, Al, Mn and Fe were up to 1500, 768 and 39520 μg L−1, with these elements also showing high contents in the sediment precipitating by the Galleria Italia waters. In most cases, dissolved mercury was below the instrumental detection limit (<0.1 μg L−1), although occasionally it reached >1 μg L−1. Considering a mean flow rate of 40 L s−1 of the discharged water, the amount of dissolved mercury released from Galleria Italia was computed, although most mercury was occurring in the sediment (1.2 mg kg−1). A more realistic computation of mercury released from Galleria Italia should involve a sampling network along the Fosso della Chiusa before entering the riverine system of the Tiber basin, into which dissolved and suspended mercury are to be determined along with that occurring in the sediments.
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24
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A New Low-Cost and Reliable Method to Evaluate the Release of Hg0 from Synthetic Materials. Processes (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/pr8101282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury is a toxic and noxious element and is the only metal that naturally occurs as gas. One of the most challenging topics (included in the United Nations Minimata convention) is to understand the adsorption–release processes of manmade materials (e.g., concrete, bricks, tiles, painting). Adsorption of Hg by construction and demolition waste materials has recently been studied, but investigations on how much Hg0 can be released from these products are rather poor. The abandoned mining site of Abbadia San Salvatore (Siena, central Italy) where, for about one century, cinnabar was roasted to produce liquid mercury, is known for the high concentrations of (i) Hg0 in edifices and structures and (ii) total and leachate Hg in synthetic materials. In the present paper, a new, simple and low-cost method to measure the amount of GEM (Gaseous Elemental Mercury) released from anthropic materials (concrete, wall rocks, and tiles) located in the Hg0-rich environments of the former mining site, is proposed. The efficiency of a specific paint that was supposed to act as blocking agent to Hg0 was also tested.
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25
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Locosselli GM, Moreira TCL, Chacón-Madrid K, Arruda MAZ, Camargo EPD, Kamigauti LY, da Trindade RIF, Andrade MDF, André CDSD, André PAD, Singer JM, Saiki M, Zaccarelli-Marino MA, Saldiva PHN, Buckeridge MS. Spatial-temporal variability of metal pollution across an industrial district, evidencing the environmental inequality in São Paulo. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 263:114583. [PMID: 33618488 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although air pollution decreased in some cities that shifted from an industrial to a service-based economy, and vehicular emission regulation became more restrictive, it is still a major risk factor for mortality worldwide. In central São Paulo, Brazil, air quality monitoring stations and tree-ring analyses revealed a decreasing trend in the concentrations of particulate matter and metals. Such trends, however, may not be observed in industrial districts located in the urban periphery, where the usual mobile sources may be combined with local stationary sources. To evaluate environmental pollution in an industrial district in southeastern São Paulo, we assessed its spatial variability, by measuring magnetic properties and concentrations of Al, Ba, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, S, Sr, Zn in the bark of 62 trees, and its temporal trends, by measuring Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn in tree rings of three trees. Source apportionment analysis based on tree barks revealed two clusters with high concentrations of metals, one related to vehicular and industrial emissions (Al, Ba, Cu, Fe, Zn) in the east side of the industrial cluster, and the other related to soil resuspension (Cu, Zn, Mn) in its west side. These patterns are also supported by the magnetic properties of bark associated with iron oxides and titanium-iron alloy concentrations. Dendrochemical analyses revealed that only the concentrations of Pb consistently decreased over the last four decades. The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni, V, and Zn did not significantly decrease over time, in contrast with their negative trends previously reported in central São Paulo. This combined biomonitoring approach revealed spatial clusters of metal concentration in the vicinity of this industrial cluster and showed that the local population has not benefited from the decreasing polluting metal concentrations in the last decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Maselli Locosselli
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto de Estudos Avançados, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Julio M Singer
- Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mitiko Saiki
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva
- Instituto de Estudos Avançados, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Silveira Buckeridge
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto de Estudos Avançados, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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26
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Wolswijk G, Satyanarayana B, Dung LQ, Siau YF, Ali ANB, Saliu IS, Fisol MAB, Gonnelli C, Dahdouh-Guebas F. Distribution of mercury in sediments, plant and animal tissues in Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, Malaysia. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 387:121665. [PMID: 31784131 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Charcoal production activities at the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR) in Peninsular Malaysia have a potential to emit volatile compounds such as Hg back into the ambient environment, raising concerns on the public health and safety. The present study was aimed at analyzing Hg concentration from different plant/animal tissues and sediment samples (in total 786 samples) to understand clearly the Hg distribution at the MMFR. Leaves of Rhizophora spp. showed higher Hg concentration with an increasing trend from young, to mature, to senescent and decomposing stages, which was possibly due to accumulation of Hg over time. The low Hg concentration in Rhizophora roots and bark suggests a limited absorption from the sediments and a meagre accumulation/partitioning by the plant tissue, respectively. In the case of mangrove cockles the concentration of Hg was lower than the permissible limits for seafood consumption. Although the mangrove gastropod - Cassidula aurisfelis Bruguière had rather elevated Hg in the muscle tissue, it is still less than the environmental safely limit. Beside the chances of atmospheric deposition for Hg, the sediment samples were found to be unpolluted in nature, indicating that in general the MMFR is still safe in terms of Hg pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Wolswijk
- Systems Ecology and Resource Management, Department of Organism Biology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CPi 264/1, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium.
| | - Behara Satyanarayana
- Systems Ecology and Resource Management, Department of Organism Biology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CPi 264/1, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium; Mangrove Research Unit (MARU), Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Nerus Terengganu, Malaysia.
| | - Le Quang Dung
- Mangrove Research Unit (MARU), Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Nerus Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Yin Fui Siau
- Mangrove Research Unit (MARU), Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Nerus Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Ahmad Nazila Bin Ali
- Mangrove Research Unit (MARU), Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Nerus Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Ibrahim Sunkanmi Saliu
- Systems Ecology and Resource Management, Department of Organism Biology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CPi 264/1, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Muhammad Amir Bin Fisol
- Mangrove Research Unit (MARU), Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Nerus Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Cristina Gonnelli
- Laboratorio di Ecologia e Fisiologia Vegetale, Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli studi di Firenze (UNIFI), Via Micheli 1, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Farid Dahdouh-Guebas
- Systems Ecology and Resource Management, Department of Organism Biology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CPi 264/1, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium; Laboratory of General Botany and Nature Management, Biocomplexity Research Focus, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Bio-engineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Campus Oefenplein, VUB-APNA-WE Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
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27
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Rimondi V, Benesperi R, Beutel MW, Chiarantini L, Costagliola P, Lattanzi P, Medas D, Morelli G. Monitoring of Airborne Mercury: Comparison of Different Techniques in the Monte Amiata District, Southern Tuscany, Italy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17072353. [PMID: 32244315 PMCID: PMC7177839 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, mercury (Hg) concentrations were investigated in lichens (Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale, Parmelia saxatilis (L.) Ach., and Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th.Fr.) collected in the surrounding of the dismissed Abbadia San Salvatore Hg mine (Monte Amiata district, Italy). Results were integrated with Hg concentrations in tree barks and literature data of gaseous Hg levels determined by passive air samplers (PASs) in the same area. The ultimate goal was to compare results obtained by the three monitoring techniques to evaluate potential mismatches. Lichens displayed 180–3600 ng/g Hg, and Hg concentrations decreased exponentially with distance from the mine. Mercury concentration was lower than in Pinus nigra barks at the same site. There was a moderate correlation between Hg in lichen and Hg in bark, suggesting similar mechanisms of Hg uptake and residence times. However, correlation with published gaseous Hg concentrations (PASs) was moderate at best (Kendall Tau = 0.4–0.5, p > 0.05). The differences occurred because a) PASs collected gaseous Hg, whereas lichens and barks also picked up particulate Hg, and b) lichens and bark had a dynamic exchange with the atmosphere. Lichen, bark, and PAS outline different and complementary aspects of airborne Hg content and efficient monitoring programs in contaminated areas would benefit from the integration of data from different techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Rimondi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy; (L.C.); (P.C.)
- CNR-IGG, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy; (P.L.); (G.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-055-2757506
| | - Renato Benesperi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy;
| | - Marc W. Beutel
- University of California, Merced, 5200 Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA;
| | - Laura Chiarantini
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy; (L.C.); (P.C.)
- Centro di Servizi di Microscopia Elettronica e Microanalisi (M.E.M.A), Università di Firenze, Via G. Capponi 3r, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Pilario Costagliola
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy; (L.C.); (P.C.)
- CNR-IGG, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy; (P.L.); (G.M.)
| | | | - Daniela Medas
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università di Cagliari, S.S. 554 bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy;
| | - Guia Morelli
- CNR-IGG, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy; (P.L.); (G.M.)
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Klapstein SJ, Walker AK, Saunders CH, Cameron RP, Murimboh JD, O'Driscoll NJ. Spatial distribution of mercury and other potentially toxic elements using epiphytic lichens in Nova Scotia. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 241:125064. [PMID: 31683434 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The use of naturally occurring epiphytic lichens can be an effective tool for regional monitoring of mercury (Hg) and other potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Nova Scotia, Canada is a hotspot for mercury and other trace metal accumulation in ecosystems; partially attributed to long-range transport of air pollution. The relative contribution of local and international sources of Hg to local air in Nova Scotia is unknown. This study assessed the potential of epiphytic lichens (Usnea spp.) as passive samplers for PTE air pollution in Nova Scotia. Lichens (n = 190) collected across mainland Nova Scotia were analyzed for PTEs. Results indicate that there are 3 distinct clusters of PTEs which suggest patterns and sources for each elemental cluster. Hg was correlated with longitude and prevailing wind direction, and Hg was not significantly different in site-specific hotspot sampling nor year of sampling. Our data support the hypothesis that Hg in lichens is from historical and ongoing long-range transport and diffuse emission patterns rather than localized pollution sources. PTE concentrations were shown to have median values that are similar to other remote regions (such as the Antarctic) however the maximum values were observed to be substantially higher for some elements (e.g. lead, cadmium). This research supports the use of lichens as biomonitors and provides a baseline for future monitoring efforts to identify changes in PTE distribution in Nova Scotia with ongoing industrial activity and a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Klapstein
- Earth and Environmental Science Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada.
| | - Allison K Walker
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | | | - Robert P Cameron
- Nova Scotia Department of Environment, Protected Areas Branch, Canada
| | - John D Murimboh
- Chemistry Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Earth and Environmental Science Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
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Rajfur M. Assessment of the possibility of using deciduous tree bark as a biomonitor of heavy metal pollution of atmospheric aerosol. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:35945-35956. [PMID: 31709484 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06581-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the research was to assess the possibility to use deciduous tree bark in the biomonitoring of urban areas. The tree bark taken from various deciduous tree species growing in the Opole Province (south-western Poland) was used for the research. The bark was collected from tree trunks in the period of June 2-26, 2017. Concentrations of the heavy metals were determined in the barks by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). On the basis of the research, it was determined that type of tree, distance from pollution source, elevation off the ground and the side of trunk from which bark was sampled all influence the research results. A comparison of the values of coefficient of variation CV demonstrated that the bark Quercus robur and Betula pendula is more heterogeneous, e.g. for Fe CVQuercus robur is 48.0 % and CVBetula pendula = 42.3 %, compared to Fagus sylvatica (CVFe = 22.6%). In order to limit the influence of environmental factors (e.g. air movement caused by vehicles and pedestrians) on the samples pollution level with analytes, it seems that the optimum level for collecting the samples is 1.5-2.0 m. It was demonstrated that deciduous tree bark can be used as bioindicator in assessing the pollution of atmospheric aerosol by heavy metals, due to its occurrence in urban areas. However, it is important to validate all stages of the analysis procedure that uses deciduous tree bark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Rajfur
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Opole, ul. kard. B. Kominka 6, 45-032, Opole, Poland.
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Navrátil T, Nováková T, Roll M, Shanley JB, Kopáček J, Rohovec J, Kaňa J, Cudlín P. Decreasing litterfall mercury deposition in central European coniferous forests and effects of bark beetle infestation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 682:213-225. [PMID: 31121348 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated a 14-year trend (2003-2017) in mercury (Hg) concentrations and fluxes in six litterfall categories (needles, bark, twigs, cones, lichen, and a mixture of unidentified fragments) at six research plots situated in two central European unmanaged mountain forest stands, dominated by mature Norway spruce. One of the stands (catchment of Plešné Lake, PL) was infested by bark beetle and all mature spruces died at three of four research plots during the study. One PL plot and two plots in the second stand (catchment of Čertovo Lake, CT) were intact and used as a control. At the intact plots, the litterfall Hg deposition averaged 45 and 32 μg/m2/year in the PL and CT catchments, respectively, while bulk precipitation Hg deposition was an order of magnitude lower (2.6 μg/m2/year). In the individual litter categories, Hg concentrations averaged 223, 195, 126, 81, 79 and 30 μg/kg in lichen, unidentified fragments, bark, twigs, needles and cones, respectively. As a result of decreasing European Hg emissions, Hg concentrations in most litter categories decreased from 2003 to 2017. Consequently, the litter-associated Hg flux to the forest floor decreased from 66 to 23 μg/m2/year during 2003-2017. The litterfall mass fluxes exhibited no trends at the intact plots. In contrast, the litter-associated Hg flux increased 5-fold after tree dieback due to elevated litterfall, averaging 218 μg/m2/year Hg at the PL infested plots during 2004-2009. The relative contribution of individual litter categories to the total Hg flux shifted from needle to bark and twig dominance. Starting in 2010, Hg flux decreased to pre-disturbance levels for the following decade. The tree mortality in the PL catchment provided a unique opportunity to evaluate changes in litter-associated Hg fluxes to the forest floor during and after natural tree dieback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Navrátil
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Tereza Nováková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Roll
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic; Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | | | - Jiří Kopáček
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Rohovec
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Kaňa
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Cudlín
- Global Change Research Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Poříčí 3b, 60 300 Brno, Czech Republic
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Barquero JI, Rojas S, Esbrí JM, García-Noguero EM, Higueras P. Factors influencing mercury uptake by leaves of stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) in Almadén (Central Spain). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:3129-3137. [PMID: 29090438 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0446-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The use of trees for biomonitoring of mercury (Hg) and other atmospheric pollutants is of increasing importance today. Leaves from different species have been the most widely used plant organ for this purpose, but only pine bark, and not leaves, was used to monitor Hg pollution. In Almadén (South Central Spain), the largest cinnabar (HgS) deposits in the world have been mined for over 2000 years to obtain metallic Hg and this activity has caused the widespread dispersion of this toxic element in the local environment. A strip of pine trees, 2750 m in length, adjacent and to the South of the mining town has been studied in order to evaluate pine tree needles as monitors for Hg contamination in this heavily polluted area. The study involved the collection of pine tree leaves from several discrete sites along the strip, as well as samples from other nearby locations, together with soil samples and monitoring of atmospheric Hg in the area during both the day and night. Leaves and soils were analyzed for total Hg concentration by means of atomic absorption spectrometry; the leachable fraction of soil Hg was also analyzed by the CV-AFS technique. The results indicate that soils from the investigated area were not directly affected by mining related pollution, with low total Hg levels (3-280 mg kg-1) found in comparison with the nearby Almadén metallurgical precinct and very low leachable Hg contents (0.27-59.65 mg kg-1) were found. Moreover, pine tree needles have a low uptake capacity, with lower THg levels (0.03-6.68 mg kg-1) when compared to those of olive trees in Almadén. However, pine needles do show significant variability with regard to the distance from the source. Gaseous Hg exhibits a similar pattern, with higher levels close to the source, especially during night time (225 ng m-3). A multiple linear regression analysis (MLRA) revealed that gaseous Hg in the nocturnal period is the prime factor that influences the amount of Hg uptake by pine tree needles. This finding makes pine needles a promising candidate to biomonitor gaseous Hg on a local or regional scale worldwide. Almadén pine tree needles have been exposed to a number of different Hg sources, including the primary one, namely the old mine dump, and secondary sources such as polluted roads or illegal urban residual waste. The secondary sources cause some minor discrepancies in the model established by the MRLA. The biomonitoring capacity of pine needles needs to be evaluated in areas far from the source. The process involved in gaseous Hg uptake by pine needles appears more likely to involve sorption in the external part of the needle than uptake through stomas, thus making this process strongly dependent on high atmospheric Hg concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Ignacio Barquero
- Instituto de Geología Aplicada, Escuela de Ingeniería Minera e Industrial de Almadén, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Pl. Manuel Meca 1, 13400, Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Sofía Rojas
- Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - José María Esbrí
- Instituto de Geología Aplicada, Escuela de Ingeniería Minera e Industrial de Almadén, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Pl. Manuel Meca 1, 13400, Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Eva M García-Noguero
- Instituto de Geología Aplicada, Escuela de Ingeniería Minera e Industrial de Almadén, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Pl. Manuel Meca 1, 13400, Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pablo Higueras
- Instituto de Geología Aplicada, Escuela de Ingeniería Minera e Industrial de Almadén, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Pl. Manuel Meca 1, 13400, Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain.
- EIMIA, Plaza Manuel Meca, 1., 13500, Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain.
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Kang H, Liu X, Guo J, Xu G, Wu G, Zeng X, Wang B, Kang S. Increased mercury pollution revealed by tree rings from the China's Tianshan Mountains. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2018; 63:1328-1331. [PMID: 36658902 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Huhu Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Guobao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Guoju Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaomin Zeng
- School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Rodríguez Martin JA, Gutiérrez C, Torrijos M, Nanos N. Wood and bark of Pinus halepensis as archives of heavy metal pollution in the Mediterranean Region. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 239:438-447. [PMID: 29679941 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Natural levels of heavy metals (HM) have increased during the industrial era to the point of posing a serious threat to the environment. The use of tree species to record contamination is a well-known practice. The objective of the study was to compare HM levels under different pollution conditions: a) soil pollution due to mining waste; b) atmospheric pollution due to coal-fired power plant emissions. We report significant HM enrichment in Pinus halepensis tissues. Near a burning power plant, Pb content in a tree wood was 2.5-fold higher that in natural areas (no pollution; NP). In mining areas, Cd content was 25-fold higher than NP. The hypothesis that HM contents in tree rings should register pollution is debatable. HM uptake by pines from soil, detoxification mechanisms and resuspended local soil dust is involved in HM contents in wood and bark.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Antonio Rodríguez Martin
- Department of the Environment, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), ES-28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carmen Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, ICA- CSIC. Serrano, 114bis, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Torrijos
- Department of the Environment, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), ES-28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nikos Nanos
- Forest Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization, 57006, Vasilika, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Yang Y, Yanai RD, Driscoll CT, Montesdeoca M, Smith KT. Concentrations and content of mercury in bark, wood, and leaves in hardwoods and conifers in four forested sites in the northeastern USA. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196293. [PMID: 29684081 PMCID: PMC5912732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is deposited from the atmosphere to remote areas such as forests, but the amount of Hg in trees is not well known. To determine the importance of Hg in trees, we analyzed foliage, bark and bole wood of eight tree species at four sites in the northeastern USA (Huntington Forest, NY; Sleepers River, VT; Hubbard Brook, NH; Bear Brook, ME). Foliar concentrations of Hg averaged 16.3 ng g-1 among the hardwood species, which was significantly lower than values in conifers, which averaged 28.6 ng g-1 (p < 0.001). Similarly, bark concentrations of Hg were lower (p < 0.001) in hardwoods (7.7 ng g-1) than conifers (22.5 ng g-1). For wood, concentrations of Hg were higher in yellow birch (2.1-2.8 ng g-1) and white pine (2.3 ng g-1) than in the other species, which averaged 1.4 ng g-1 (p < 0.0001). Sites differed significantly in Hg concentrations of foliage and bark (p = 0.02), which are directly exposed to the atmosphere, but the concentration of Hg in wood depended more on species (p < 0.001) than site (p = 0.60). The Hg contents of tree tissues in hardwood stands, estimated from modeled biomass and measured concentrations at each site, were higher in bark (mean of 0.10 g ha-1) and wood (0.16 g ha-1) than in foliage (0.06 g ha-1). In conifer stands, because foliar concentrations were higher, the foliar pool tended to be more important. Quantifying Hg in tree tissues is essential to understanding the pools and fluxes of Hg in forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
| | - Ruth D. Yanai
- Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
| | - Charles T. Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
| | - Mario Montesdeoca
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
| | - Kevin T. Smith
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Durham, NH, United States of America
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Arnold J, Gustin MS, Weisberg PJ. Evidence for Nonstomatal Uptake of Hg by Aspen and Translocation of Hg from Foliage to Tree Rings in Austrian Pine. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:1174-1182. [PMID: 29232509 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b04468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
To determine whether trees are reliable biomonitors of air mercury (Hg) pollution concentrations were measured in bark, foliage, and tree rings. Data were developed using 4-year old Pinus and Populus trees grown from common genetic stock in Oregon and subsequently transferred to four air treatments differing in gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) chemistry and total gaseous Hg (TGM) concentrations. Soil of a subset of trees was spiked with HgBr2 in solution to test for root uptake. Results indicate no significant effect of the soil spike or GOM compounds on tree tissue Hg concentrations. TGM treatment had a significant effect on Pinus and Populus foliage, and Pinus year 5 growth ring concentrations. Populus foliar Hg concentrations were highest in the exposure where 24 h TGM concentrations were highest, indicating the importance of the nonstomatal pathway for uptake. Pinus tree ring concentrations were correlated to day time TGM concentrations suggesting Hg accumulation into tree rings is by way of the stomata and subsequent translocation by way of phloem. Populus leaves and Pinus rings can be used as biomonitors for TGM concentrations over space. However, the use of trees as temporal proxies requires further investigation due to radial translocation observed in active sapwood tree rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Arnold
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science University of Nevada-Reno Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Mae Sexauer Gustin
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science University of Nevada-Reno Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Peter J Weisberg
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science University of Nevada-Reno Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
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Chiarantini L, Rimondi V, Bardelli F, Benvenuti M, Cosio C, Costagliola P, Di Benedetto F, Lattanzi P, Sarret G. Mercury speciation in Pinus nigra barks from Monte Amiata (Italy): An X-ray absorption spectroscopy study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 227:83-88. [PMID: 28458249 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study determined, by means of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, the speciation of mercury (Hg) in black pine (Pinus nigra) barks from Monte Amiata, that were previously shown to contain exceptionally high (up to some mg kg-1) Hg contents because of the proximity to the former Hg mines and roasting plants. Linear fit combination (LCF) analysis of the experimental spectra compared to a large set of reference compounds showed that all spectra can be fitted by only four species: β-HgS (metacinnabar), Hg-cysteine, Hg bound to tannic acid, and Hg0. The first two are more widespread, whereas the last two occur in one sample only; the contribution of organic species is higher in deeper layers of barks than in the outermost ones. We interpret these results to suggest that, during interaction of barks with airborne Hg, the metal is initially mechanically captured at the bark surface as particulate, or physically adsorbed as gaseous species, but eventually a stable chemical bond is established with organic ligands of the substrate. As a consequence, we suggest that deep bark Hg may be a good proxy for long term time-integrated exposure, while surface bark Hg is more important for recording short term events near Hg point sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Chiarantini
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira, 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Valentina Rimondi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira, 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Bardelli
- CNR-Nanotec c/o Dipartimento di Fisica, Università La Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 2, 00185, Roma, Italy.
| | - Marco Benvenuti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira, 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Claudia Cosio
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 66 bd Carl-Vogt, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Pilario Costagliola
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira, 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Benedetto
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira, 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Pierfranco Lattanzi
- CNR IGG, Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Via G. La Pira, 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Géraldine Sarret
- ISTerre, Univ. Grenoble Alpes & CNRS, 38058 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
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Navrátil T, Šimeček M, Shanley JB, Rohovec J, Hojdová M, Houška J. The history of mercury pollution near the Spolana chlor-alkali plant (Neratovice, Czech Republic) as recorded by Scots pine tree rings and other bioindicators. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 586:1182-1192. [PMID: 28237461 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
We assessed >100years of mercury (Hg) pollution recorded in the tree rings of Scots Pine near a Czech chlor-alkali plant operating since 1941. Hg concentrations in tree rings increased with the launching of plant operations and decreased when Hg emissions decreased in 1975 due to an upgrade in production technology. Similar to traditional bioindicators of pollution such as pine needles, bark and forest floor humus, Hg concentrations in Scots Pine boles decreased with distance from the plant. Mean Hg in pine bole in the 1940s ranged from 32.5μg/kg Hg at a distance of 0.5km from the plant to 5.4μg/kg at a distance of >4.7km, where tree ring Hg was the same as at a reference site, and other bioindicators also suggest that the effect of the plant was no longer discernible. Tree ring Hg concentrations decreased by 8-29μg/kg since the 1940s at all study sites including the reference site. The lack of exact correspondence between changes at the plant and tree ring Hg indicated some smearing of the signal due to lateral translocation of Hg from sapwood to heartwood. Bole Hg concentrations reflected local and regional atmospheric Hg concentrations, and not Hg wet deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Navrátil
- Institute of Geology of CAS, v.v.i., Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Martin Šimeček
- Institute of Geology of CAS, v.v.i., Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | | | - Jan Rohovec
- Institute of Geology of CAS, v.v.i., Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Hojdová
- Institute of Geology of CAS, v.v.i., Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Houška
- Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
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