Abstract
Air pollution is a major concern in China. Lichens are a useful biomonitor for atmospheric elemental deposition but have rarely been used in North China. The aim of this study was to investigate the atmospheric depositions of 30 trace elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, Tb, Th, Ti, Tl, V and Zn) in a region of the Taihang Mountains, Hebei Province, China using lichens as biomonitors. Epilithic foliose lichen Xanthoria mandschurica was sampled from 21 sites and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results show that 1) eight elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, P, Pb, Sb and Zn) are of atmospheric origin and are highly influenced by the atmospheric transportation from the North China Plain, as well as local mining activities, while 2) the remaining 22 elements are primarily of crustal origin, the concentration of which has been enhanced by local mining and quarrying activities. These results clearly validate the applicability of lichens in biomonitoring of atmospheric elemental deposition and demonstrate the spatial pattern for air pollution in the region.
Highlights
Air pollution is a major concern in China
This is true in the Taihang Mountains, where air quality has been influenced by the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants and local anthropogenic emissions, but levels and spatial patterns of atmospheric trace metal deposition have not been understood
Al was selected to calculate enrichment factor (EF) according to Equation 1 because it is the most widely used element in lichen studies, and its concentration is constant in environmental samples within the study area, having a coefficient of variation (CV) of 14.0%, 9.8% and 8.8% for rocks, top soils and deep soils, respectively
Summary
Air pollution is a major concern in China. Lichens are a useful biomonitor for atmospheric elemental deposition but have rarely been used in North China. The results show that 1) eight elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, P, Pb, Sb and Zn) are of atmospheric origin and are highly influenced by the atmospheric transportation from the North China Plain, as well as local mining activities, while 2) the remaining 22 elements are primarily of crustal origin, the concentration of which has been enhanced by local mining and quarrying activities These results clearly validate the applicability of lichens in biomonitoring of atmospheric elemental deposition and demonstrate the spatial pattern for air pollution in the region. These systems can only detect a limited number of pollutants (mainly CO, SOX, NOX and dust) while the data are limited in quantity so as to preclude the determination of spatial trends of atmospheric pollutants This is true in the Taihang Mountains, where air quality has been influenced by the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants and local anthropogenic emissions, but levels and spatial patterns of atmospheric trace metal deposition have not been understood. This collection is a starting point to establish a regional GIS-based database of element concentrations in space and time for future large-scale and long-term, integrated elaborations
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
