Element contents in leaves of four plant species (birch, mountain ash, fern and spruce) along anthropogenic and geogenic concentration gradients

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 377; no. 2; pp. 416 - 433
• Main Authors: Reimann, Clemens, Arnoldussen, Arnold, Boyd, Rognvald, Finne, Tor Erik, Koller, Friedrich, Nordgulen, Øystein, Englmaier, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 15.05.2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Airborne pollution; Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Betula; Betula pubescens; Biomonitoring; Boron - analysis; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Exact sciences and technology; Ferns; Geogenic background; Geological Phenomena; Geology; Karsten; Metals - analysis; Norway; Phosphorus - analysis; Picea; Picea abies; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Pollution; Pteridium aquilinum; Seawater; Sorbus; Sorbus aucuparia; Sulfur - analysis; Transect; Urban influence; Norway; Europe; ANE, Norway, Oslo; Biomonitoring; Urban influence; Airborne pollution; Transect; Geogenic background; Elementary analysis; Performance evaluation; Rosaceae; Biological monitoring; Dicotyledones; Pteridium aquilinum; Angiospermae; Gymnospermae; Geogenic factor; Betulaceae; Filicineae; Anthropogenic factor; Betula pubescens; Biological indicator; Air quality; Sorbus aucuparia; Plant leaf; Pteridophyta; Air pollution; Coniferales; Spermatophyta; Picea abies
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.02.011

Forty samples each of leaves of birch ( Betula pubescens Ehrh.), European mountain ash ( Sorbus aucuparia (L.)) and bracken fern ( Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) as well as spruce needles ( Picea abies (L.) Karsten) were collected along a 120 km south–north transect running through Norway's largest city, Oslo. Concentrations of 25 chemical elements (Ag, Au, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sr, Ti, and Zn) as well as loss on ignition for the 4 sample materials are reported. The decline of input of sea spray with distance from the coast, geology, pH and anthropogenic contamination all played a role for the observed element concentrations in the leaves. Although growing under exactly the same natural conditions each plant species displayed quite unique uptake characteristics. Plant-species dependency and individual differences in the reaction of the plant leaves to different element sources make the investigated species of very limited value as bioindicators of anthropogenic activities. Anthropogenic contamination influences plant-leaf element content within a limited distance (∼ 20 km) from the source.