Heavy Metal Content of Some Savanna Plant Species in Relation to Air Pollution

The Sb, Cr, Ni, As, Pb and Cu contents in leaves of Dichrostachys cinerea, Ficus platyphylla, Isoberlinia doka and Securiniga virosa growing around the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Complex (KRPC) were compared with heavy metal contents of the same species growing in a relatively “clean” environment, during the rainy and dry seasons of 2001. Concentrations of Cr, Ni, As and Pb in the leaves of the plant species monitored were significantly lower during the dry season than during the rainy season, particularly in the polluted site (P < 0.05). The concentrations Sb and Cu were lower only in F. platyphylla and S. virosa. Patterns of accumulation of individual heavy metals were variable. All four species of plants accumulated Pb to a higher degree (P < 0.05), than Cr and Ni, which had accumulation patterns similar, and higher than that of As. Arsenic was the least (P < 0.05) accumulated. Accumulation of Cu was different to other metals, being higher than Pb, Cr, Ni, and As (P < 0.05), and second only to Sb, which was hyper-accumulated in all four plants species. Heavy metal contents of the four species varied between rainy and dry seasons. The differences in metal contents observed between seasons, could be linked to relative availability of cations to plants as influenced by soil moisture content. Variations in pattern of accumulation of individual metals, could be related to the genetically induced capacity of plants to alleviate the toxic effects of heavy metals through mechanisms, which include binding metals to peptides and organic acids, formation of phytochelatins, cellular adaptations, efflux pumping systems and other mechanisms.     

Water,Air, and Soil Pollution

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution -     

Water,Air, and Soil Pollution. Information for Authors

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution -     

Stephen T. Holgate,Jonathan M. Samet,Hillel S. Koren and Robert L. Maynard (eds.), Air Pollution and Health

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution -     

Air Pollution Processing by Radiation Fogs

Several fog episodes occurred in California’s San Joaquin Valley during winter 2000/2001. Measurements revealed the fogs to generally be less than 50 m deep, but to contain high liquid water contents (frequently exceeding 200 mg/m³) and large droplets. The composition of the fog water was dominated by ammonium (median concentration?=?608 μN), nitrate (304 μN), and organic carbon (6.9 ppmC), with significant contributions also from nitrite (18 μN) and sulfate (56 μN). Principal organic species included formate (median concentration?=?32 μN), acetate (31 μN), and formaldehyde (21 μM). High concentrations of ammonia resulted in high fog pH values, ranging between 5.8 and 8.0 at the core measurement site. At this high pH aqueous phase oxidation of dissolved sulfur dioxide and reaction of S(IV) with formaldehyde to form hydroxymethanesulfonate are both important processes. The fogs are also effective at scavenging and removal of airborne particulate matter. Deposition velocities for key solutes in the fog are typically of the order of 1–2 cm/s, much higher than deposition velocities of precursor accumulation mode aerosol particles. Variations were observed in deposition velocities for individual constituents in the order NO₂ ^??>?fogwater?>?NH₄ ⁺?>?TOC ～ SO₄ ^2??>?NO₃ ^?. Nitrite, observed to be enriched in large fog drops, had a deposition velocity higher than the average fogwater deposition velocity, due to the increase in drop settling velocity with size. Species enriched in small fog drops (NH₄ ⁺, TOC, SO₄ ^2?, and NO₃ ^?) all had deposition velocities smaller than observed for fogwater. Typical boundary layer removal rates for major fog solute species were estimated to be approximately 0.5–1 μg m^?3 h^?1, indicating the important role regional fogs can play in reducing airborne pollutant concentrations.     

GIS Analysis of Surface Water Chemistry Susceptibility and Response to Industrial Air Pollution in the Kola Peninsula,Northern Russia

The Kola Peninsula (Figure 1) is the most industrially developed and urbanized region in the Russian North. The main pollution sources are the large smelters Severonickel and Pechenganickel, which are responsible for > 80 % of SO2 emission and nearly 100 % of the Ni and Cu emission in the region. The heterogeneous structure of the hydrologic network and geochemistry across the region cause natural variability in water chemistry. Due to moist and cool climate, large territories on the Kola are sensitive to acid precipitation, but around the smelters, geological peculiarities, erosion and alkaline dust emissions increase buffering capacity of waters to acidification. Lake and river monitoring implemented from 1989-1993 by the laboratory of water ecosystems, Institute of Northern Ecology Problems was a basis for GIS-analysis (ARC/VIEW-2.1) of the major constituents of water chemistry attributed to anthropogenic load in the region. After correction for sea salt, acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) of waters was calculated. The highest concentrations of anthropogenic non-sea sulfates were confined to the districts with high cation concentrations (Na+ + K+ + Ca2+ + Mg2+) that reduced negative effects. The most vulnerable regions were found in the northern tundra and high mountain tundra.     

Plant Response to Copper Toxicity as Affected by Plant Species and Soil Type

ABSTRACT

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the bioavailability of copper (Cu) in clay loam and sandy clay loam soil. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea) were grown in pots for 45 d. When mature, plants were treated for 15 additional days with 0, 100, 250, 500, or 1000 mg Cu kg^?1 as CuSO₄·5H₂O. After harvest, Cu in soils and plant tissues was determined. In soils, applied Cu raised total and EDTA-extractible Cu. Results also revealed that the amounts of Cu extracted from sandy clay loam soil (80%) were higher than those extracted from clay loam soil (70%). In plants, increasing soil Cu concentration increased plant concentration of the metal. Plant species vary in their capacity for Cu accumulation: Lettuce has a relatively higher potential for Cu uptake and translocation than does spinach. Cu accumulation also differs among plant organs. In lettuce, metal accumulation is higher in roots than in shoots, where 60% to 80% of the total Cu of the plant is located in the roots. However, in spinach, there is no significant difference in Cu content between roots and shoots. The transfer of the metal from soil to plant is higher for plants grown on sandy clay loam soil. For a given rate of applied Cu, metal content in plant tissues is higher on sandy clay loam soil due to its higher transfer coefficient (C_T) from soil to plant. Nevertheless, all crops studied showed a positive linear relationship between extractible soil Cu and plant Cu.     

Industrial Air Pollution Monitoring,A. G. Clarke (ed.)

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution -     

黑麦草生长及根系形态对土壤Cd，Pb与石油污染的响应

[目的] 研究不同污染条件下黑麦草生理指标的动态变化,为植物修复污染土壤提供初步理论基础。[方法] 通过室内试验模拟不同类型的土壤污染。设置4个处理,未污染土壤+黑麦草（SH）、重金属污染土壤（500 mg/kg Pb²⁺和50 mg/kg Cd²⁺）+黑麦草（SGH）、石油污染土壤（1 000 mg/kg石油）+黑麦草（SPH）、石油和重金属复合污染土壤（500 mg/kg Pb²⁺,50 mg/kg Cd²⁺和1 000 mg/kg石油）+黑麦草（SPGH）,采用WINRHIZO根系分析系统测量根系形态指标,用分光光度计测量叶片色素指标,研究不同类型土壤污染对黑麦草生长的影响。[结果] 3种不同类型的污染土壤均不同程度地刺激了黑麦草根系的生长。与未污染处理相比,在20 d时,石油重金属复合处理下的黑麦草根系的根长、根表面积、根体积、根直径分别增加了88.10%,148.60%,221.90%,32.20%。与未污染相比,随着培养时间的增加各污染处理的地下生物量呈现出先增加后减少的趋势,地上生物量均低于未污染处理,且在第10,40,80 d时,复合污染处理的地上生物量最小,较未污染处理分别降低了34.68%,45.42%,58.05%。80 d时,重金属污染处理、石油污染处理和石油重金属复合污染处理的黑麦草叶绿素含量显著低于未污染处理,分别降低了26.84%,44.82%和47.02%。[结论] 不同污染物都可以促进黑麦草根系形态发育,降低黑麦草的生物量及色素含量;石油重金属复合处理对黑麦草的生长影响最大,石油污染处理次之。基于不同污染物对黑麦草根系形态及生长影响的差异,在今后植物修复土壤污染过程中,可添加一些生长调节物质来缓解污染对植物的毒害作用,提高植物生物量及增强相关生理功能,提升污染土壤修复效果。