Elemental concentrations in deposited dust on leaves along an urbanization gradient

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 490; pp. 514 - 520
• Main Authors: Simon, Edina, Baranyai, Edina, Braun, Mihály, Cserháti, Csaba, Fábián, István, Tóthmérész, Béla
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.08.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acer campestre; Acer negundo; Air Pollutants - analysis; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Celtis occidentalis; Cities - statistics & numerical data; Dust - analysis; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heavy metals; Hungary; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Pollution; Quercus robur; Stomata density; Stomata size; Trace Elements - analysis; Trichomes; Urbanization; Urbanization - trends; Hungary; Urbanization; Stomata density; Stomata size; Trichomes; Heavy metals; Elementary analysis; Chemical analysis; Quercus robur; Acer negundo; Density; Aceraceae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Anthropogenic factor; Celtis; Gradient; Biological indicator; Stomata; Plant leaf; Fagaceae; Acer campestre; Trichome; Heavy metal; Trace element; Pollutant; Dust; Air pollution; Spermatophyta; Ulmaceae
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.05.028

Environmental health is an essential component of the quality of life in modern societies. Monitoring of environmental quality and the assessment of environmental risks are often species based on the elemental concentration of deposited dust. Our result suggested that stomata size and distribution were the most important factors influencing the accumulation of air contaminants in leaves. We found that the leaves' surfaces of Acer negundo and Celtis occidentalis were covered by a large number of trichomes, and these species have proven to be suitable biomonitors for atmospheric pollution difficult; these can be overcome using bioindicator species. Leaves of Padus serotina, Acer campestre, A. negundo, Quercus robur and C. occidentalis were used to assess the amount of deposited dust and the concentration of contaminants in deposited dust in and around the city of Debrecen, Hungary. Samples were collected from an urban, suburban and rural area along an urbanization gradient. The concentrations of Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, S, Sr and Zn were determined in deposited dust using ICP–OES. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to explore the morphological structure and dust absorbing capacity of leaves. We found significant differences in dust deposition among species, and dust deposition correlated with trichomes' density. Principal component analysis (PCA) also showed a total separation of tree. •Dust is used as indicators of the accumulation of inorganic pollutants.•Scanning EM was used to explore the morphological structure of leaves.•Amount of dust deposited of leaves correlated with trichomes' density.•A. negundo, C. occidentalis and Q. robur are suitable to indicate air contaminants.•A. negundo and C. occidentalis are suitable to decrease the amount of dust in air.