Urban deciduous tree leaves as biomonitors of trace element (As, V and Cd) atmospheric pollution in Belgrade, Serbia

Leaves of common deciduous trees: horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and linden (Tilia spp.) from three parks within the urban area of Belgrade were studied as biomonitors of trace element (As, V, and Cd) atmospheric pollution. The May–September trace element accumulation in the leaves, and their temporal trends, were assayed in a multi-year period (2002–2006). Significant accumulation in the leaves was evident for As and V, but not so regularly for Cd. Slightly decreasing temporal trends of V and As ac-cumulated in the leaf tissues were observed over the years. During the time span, the concentrations of Cd remained approximately on the same level, except in May 2002 and September 2005, when a rapid increase was observed. The May–September accumulations of As and V were higher in horse chestnut than in linden, although both may be used as biomonitors for these elements, and optionally for Cd in conditions of its high atmospheric loadings

Ispitivanje zagađenosti vazduha u Beogradu elementima u tragovima (As, V, Cd) iz listova listopadnog drveća

Leaves of common deciduous trees: horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and linden (Tilia spp.) from three parks within the urban area of Belgrade were studied as biomonitors of trace element (As, V, and Cd) atmospheric pollution. The May-September trace element accumulation in the leaves, and their temporal trends, were assayed in a multi-year period (2002-2006). Significant accumulation in the leaves was evident for As and V, but not so regularly for Cd. Slightly decreasing temporal trends of V and As accumulated in the leaf tissues were observed over the years. During the time span, the concentrations of Cd remained approximately on the same level, except in May 2002 and September 2005, when a rapid increase was observed. The May-September accumulations of As and V were higher in horse chestnut than in linden, although both may be used as biomonitors for these elements, and optionally for Cd in conditions of its high atmospheric loadings.Jedna od posledica intenzivnog ekonomskog i industrijskog razvoja je povećana emisija zagađujućih supstancija u atmosferu. Drveće, posebno u urbanim sredinama, veoma je značajno sa aspekta prečišćavanja vazduha; pored toga, uočeno je da postoji korelacija između koncentracije pojedinih zagađujućih materija u vazduhu i u lišću drveća, što je iskorišćeno za biomonitoring kvaliteta vazduha. U ovom radu je ispitivana mogućnost biomonitoringa elemenata u tragovima u vazduhu pomoću dve vrste listopadnog drveća, divljeg kestena (Aesculus hippocastanum) i lipe (Tilia spp.), koje su veoma zastupljene u Beogradu. Uzorci su sakupljani na početku vegetacionog perioda, u maju, kao i na kraju vegetacionog perioda, u septembru, tokom pet godina, od 2002. do 2006. godine. U eksperimentalnom delu izvršena je analiza sadržaja elemenata u tragovima (arsen, vanadijum, kadmijum) u listovima navedenih vrsta drveća sakupljenim sa tri lokacije u Beogradu (Karađorđev park, Studentski park i Botanička bašta), koje su odabrane zbog intenzivnog saobraćaja. Poređenjem dobijenih vrednosti sa koncentracijama ispitivanih elemenata u suspendovanim česticama u vazduhu određen je stepen akumulacije i zaključeno je da se ispitivane vrste mogu koristiti za biomonitoring kvaliteta vazduha, odnosno njegove zagađenosti ispitivanim elementima u tragovima, pri čemu je divlji kesten imao bolje akumulativne sposobnosti