Abstract
Trees are considered to be an effective tool for metal pollution biomonitoring. In the present study, the concentration of metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Co, Ni, Fe, Mn, and Al) in black poplar leaves (Populus nigra L.), together with the concentration of PM10, PM2.5, PM1, and total suspended particles (TSP), was used for the air pollution biomonitoring in 12 sites from various areas of Cluj-Napoca city, Romania. The concentration of PM10 in the air was high, but their metal content was low. However, Cu, Pb, and Zn were moderately enriched, while Cd was highly enriched in PM10 due to anthropogenic sources. The average metal concentration in leaves decreased in the order Zn>>Fe>Mn>Al>Pb>Ni>Cu>Co>Cd and increased with the increase of PM10 concentration, indicating that poplar leaves are sensitive to air pollution. The principal component analysis indicated that traffic, waste burning, road dust resuspension, and soil contamination are the main anthropogenic sources of metals in poplar leaves. The results indicated that black poplar leaves are a suitable biomonitoring tool for metal pollution, in urban environments.
Highlights
Metals are important constituents for a wide range of commodities in our daily life, every human activity that produces and uses these commodities has the potential to release metals into the environment [1]
High variability of the particulates and instantaneous particles with diameter less than 10 μm (PM10) density was found between the sampling sites, with values ranging between 38–134 μg/m3
The daily PM10 values ranged between 13–90 μg/m3 and contained only low levels of metals (
Summary
Metals are important constituents for a wide range of commodities in our daily life, every human activity that produces and uses these commodities has the potential to release metals into the environment [1]. Pollution with metals negatively impacts both the ecosystems and human health due to its high toxicity, high bioaccumulation rates, and low biodegradation potential [2–4]. Air pollution with particulate matter (PM), with aerodynamic diameters
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