Deposition and solubility of airborne metals to four plant species grown at varying distances from two heavily trafficked roads in London

In urban areas, a highly variable mixture of pollutants is deposited as particulate matter. The concentration and bioavailability of individual pollutants within particles need to be characterised to ascertain the risks to ecological receptors. This study, carried out at two urban parks, measured the deposition and water-solubility of metals to four species common to UK urban areas. Foliar Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations were elevated in at least one species compared with those from a rural control site. Concentrations were, however, only affected by distance to road in nettle and, to a lesser extent, birch leaves. Greater concentrations of metal were observed in these species compared to cypress and maple possibly due to differences in plant morphology and leaf surfaces. Solubility appeared to be linked to the size fraction and, therefore, origin of the metal with those present predominantly in the coarse fraction exhibiting low solubility. © 2009

Use of Lichen and Moss in Assessment of Forest Contamination with Heavy Metals in Praded and Glacensis Euroregions (Poland and Czech Republic)

The concentrations of selected metals—Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb—were determined in the samples of Hypogymnia physodes lichen and Pleurozium schreberi moss collected in Polish and Czech Euroregions Praded and Glacensis. More specifically, the samples were collected in Bory Stobrawskie, Bory Niemodlińskie, and Kotlina Kłodzka (Poland) and in Jeseniki (Czech Republic). The concentration of metals in the samples was measured using the atomic absorption spectrometry (flame AAS technique and electrothermal atomization AAS technique). The results were used to calculate the comparison factor (CF) that quantifies the difference in concentration of a given bioavailable analyte × accumulated in lichens and mosses: CF = 2 (cx,lichen − cx,moss) (cx,lichen + cx,moss)−1. The values of CF greater than 0.62 indicate the most probable location of heavy metals deposited in the considered area. In this work, the method was used to show a significant contribution of urban emissions to the deposition of heavy metals in the area of Bory Stobrawskie and in the vicinity of Kłodzko City

Different strategies to achieve Pb-tolerance by the two Trebouxia algae coexisting in the lichen Ramalina farinacea

Lichen thalli are permeable to airborne substances, including heavy metals, which are harmful to cell metabolism. Ramalina farinacea shows a moderate tolerance to Pb. This lichen comprises two Trebouxia phycobionts, provisionally referred to as TR1 and TR9, with distinct physiological responses to acute oxidative stress. Thus, there is a more severe decay in photosynthesis and photosynthetic pigments in TR1 than in TR9. Similarly, under oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes and HSP70 protein decrease in TR1 but increase in TR9. Since Pb toxicity is associated with increased ROS formation, we hypothesized greater Pb tolerance in this phycobiont. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to characterize the physiological differences in the responses of TR1 and TR9 to Pb exposure. Liquid cultures of isolated phycobionts were incubated for 7 days in the presence of Pb(NO3)2. Thereafter, extracellular and intracellular Pb accumulation, photosynthetic pigments, and photosynthesis (as modulated chlorophyll fluorescence) were analyzed along with the antioxidant enzymes glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APx), and catalase (CAT), and the stress-related protein HSP70. Pb uptake increased with the amount of supplied Pb in both algae. However, while significantly more metal was immobilized extracellularly by TR9, the amount of intracellular Pb accumulation was three times higher in TR1. In neither of the phycobionts were significant effects on photosynthetic pigments or photosynthetic electron transport observed. While under control conditions GR, SOD, and APx levels were significantly higher in TR1 than in TR9, only in the latter were these enzymes induced by Pb. This resulted in quantitatively similar antioxidant activities in the two algae when exposed to Pb. In conclusion, the phycobionts of R. farinacea make use of two different strategies against stress, in which the integration of distinct anatomical and physiological features affords similar levels of Pb tolerance.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2009-13429-C02-01/02) and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 174/2008 and GVACOMP2011-205). We are grateful to the Central Support Service in Experimental Research (SCSIE), University of Valencia (Spain), for the TEM studies. We acknowledge Dr. Said Agouram (SCSIE, University of Valencia, Spain) for TEM-EDXS characterizations and for helpful discussions during the TEM investigations. We thank Wendy Ran and Daniel Sheerin for the English revision of the manuscript.Álvarez, R.; Del Hoyo, A.; García Breijo, FJ.; Reig Armiñana, J.; Del Campo, EM.; Guéra, A.; Barreno, E.... (2012). Different strategies to achieve Pb-tolerance by the two Trebouxia algae coexisting in the lichen Ramalina farinacea. Journal of Plant Physiology. 169(18):1797-1806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2012.07.005S179718061691

Biomonitoring of concentrations of platinum group elements and their correlations to other metals

Biomonitoring of Pt, Pd, Pb, Mn, Cu, Fe and Zn was conducted using leaves (two and six months old) of laurel (Lauras nobilis L.) ornamental shrubs grown in 14 sampling sites located on the central green belts of six avenues and streets of Athens. In this biomonitoring we determined, for the first time in Greece, the concentrations of the new urban 'pollutants' Pt and Pd, and we estimated the correlations among the concentrations of all the above-mentioned metals as well as among the metal concentrations and the traffic load. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) of the data revealed three distinct groups of metals and two groups of sites (one with high and the other with relatively low levels of pollution). Using varimax-rotated PCA for the metals, four factors were extracted explaining 92.3% of the total shared variance, which are further discussed. The importance of seasonal timing of sampling is revealed by the data and discussed in connection with the meteorological conditions

THE CORTICOLOUS LICHENS OF QUERCUS SPP. STANDS, BIOINDICATORS - BIOMONITORS OF AIR POLLUTION (MEGALOPOLI - ARCADIA, GREECE)

ΚΑΤΑΓΡΑΦΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΠΙΦΛΟΙΑΣ ΛΕΙΧΗΝΟΧΛΩΡΙΔΑΣ ΤΩΝ QUERCUS SPP. ΣΤΗΝ ΠΕΔΙΑΔΑ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΠΟΛΗΣ ΑΡΚΑΔΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΝΑΓΝΩΡΙΣΗ ΛΕΙΧΗΝΟΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΩΝ. ΕΚΤΙΜΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΤΜΟΣΦΑΙΡΙΚΗΣ ΡΥΠΑΝΣΗΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΝ Α.Η.Σ. (Δ.Ε.Η) ΧΡΗΣΙΜΟΠΟΙΩΝΤΑΣ ΩΣ ΒΙΟΔΕΙΚΤΕΣ - ΒΙΟΜΕΤΡΗΤΕΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΛΕΙΧΗΝΕΣ ANAPTYCHIA CILIARIS, RAMALINA FARINACEA ΚΑΙ LOBARIA PULMONARIA, ΣΤΟΥΣΟΠΟΙΟΥΣ ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΣΘΗΚΑΝ ΟΛΙΚΟ ΘΕΙΟ, ΟΛΙΚΟ ΑΖΩΤΟ, ΒΑΡΙΑ ΜΕΤΑΛΛΑ, ΟΛΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΩΤΕΙΝΕΣ, ΑΝΑΓΩΓΙΚΑ ΣΑΚΧΑΡΑ, Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ: ΧΛΩΡΟΦΥΛΛΗ /ΦΑΙΟΦΥΤΙΝΗ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ PH, ΣΕ 22 ΣΤΑΘΜΟΥΣ, ΣΕ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΣ ΑΠΟΣΤΑΣΕΙΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΝ Α.Η.Σ. ΚΑΤΕΓΡΑΦΗΣΑΝ 51 ΕΙΔΗ ΛΕΙΧΗΝΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΑΝΑΓΝΩΡΙΣΘΗΚΑΝ ΤΡΕΙΣ ΛΕΙΧΗΝΟΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΕΣ. ΟΙ ΣΥΓΚΕΝΤΡΩΣΕΙΣ ΟΛΙΚΟΥ ΘΕΙΟΥ, ΑΖΩΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΟΡΙΣΜΕΝΩΝ ΜΕΤΑΛΛΩΝ ΕΔΕΙΞΑΝ ΑΡΝΗΤΙΚΗ ΣΥΣΧΕΤΙΣΗ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΑΠΟΣΤΑΣΗ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΝ Α.Η.Σ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΤΙΚΗ ΣΥΣΧΕΤΙΣΗ ΜΕ ΤΟ ΥΨΟΜΕΤΡΟ ΤΟΥ ΣΤΑΘΜΟΥ. (ΠΕΡΙΚΟΠΗ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗΣ)COMPILATION OF CORTICOLOUS LICHENS CHECK-LIST AND RECOGNITION OF LICHEN COMMUNITIES ON QUERCUS SPP. WERE MADE IN THE PLAIN OF MEGALOPOLIS, ARCADIA. ASSESSMENT OF AIR POLLUTION FROM THE LIGNITE POWER PLANT OF P.E.C (PUBLIC ELECTRIC COMPANY), USING AS BIOINDICATORS - BIOMONITORS THE LICHENS ANAPTYCHIA CILIARIS, RAMALINA FARINACEA AND LOBARIA PULMONARIA IN WHICH TOTAL SULPHUR, TOTAL NITROGEN, HEAVY METALS, TOTAL PROTEINS, REDUCING SUGARS, PH AND THE RATIO CHLOROPHYLL/PHAEOPHYTIN WERE DETERMINED IN 22 SAMPLING STATIONS AT VARIOUS DISTANCES FROM THE POWER PLANT. FIFTY ONE SPECIES OF LICHENS WERE RECORDED AND THREE LICHENCOMMUNITIES WERE RECOGNIZED. THE CONCENTRATIONS OF TOTAL SULPHUR, NITROGEN AND SOME METALS SHOWED A NEGATIVE CORRELATION WITH THE DISTANCE FROM THE SOURCEAND POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH THE ALTITUDE OF THE STATION. THE NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN CD AND PROTEINS IN A. CILIARIS AND L. PULMONARIA IS EMPHASIZED, AS WELL AS THE NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN TOTAL SULPHUR AND PH IN ALL THREE SPECIES. THE SPECIES R. FARINACEA IS CONSIDERED THE MOST APPROPRIATE AS BIOINDICATOR - BIOMONITOR OF SO2 FOLLOWED BY A. CILIARIS. THE RESULTS IN GENERALINDICATE A NEGATIVE EFFECT OF AIR POLLUTION FROM THE POWER PLANT ON THE LICHENS. ON FREE-STANDING TREES OF QUERCUS SPP., CORTICOLOUS LICHENS ARE PRACTICALLY LACKING

Photochemical air pollutant levels and ozone phytotoxicity in the region of Mesogia-Attica, Greece

The levels of photochemical air pollutants: O-3, NO and NO2, were monitored in Athens and in the neighbouring region of the Mesogia plain (Spata, Artemis and Markopoulo) from 1 May-31 August 2000. Phytodetection of ozone was also conducted using bioindicator plants of Bel-W3 and Zichnomirodata (KK6/5) tobacco varieties. The average maximum daily O-3 concentration was 60-75 ppb, while the 24 hour average ranged from 40-65 ppb. The AOT40 (ppb hours) index was very high in Athens (16 679 over 121 days), Spata (16325 over 110 days), Artemis (8093 over 22 days) and Markopoulo (18 646 over 113 days), suggesting potentially phytotoxic ozone levels. The ozone bioindicator plants of Bel-W3 and KK6/5 tobacco varieties were highly injured in all regions confirming the phytotoxicity of those ozone levels. The levels of NO and NO2 recorded at the three stations, in the Mesogia plain, were considerably lower than those occurring in Athens. The data presented here provide important background information concerning pollution levels in the Mesogia plain shortly before the operation of the new international airport 'Eleftherios Venizelos' in this region (March 2001)