The large-scale period of atmospheric trace metal deposition to urban landscape trees as a biomonitor


IŞINKARALAR K.

BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY, no.5, pp.6455-6464, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s13399-022-02796-4
  • Journal Name: BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Page Numbers: pp.6455-6464
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: No

Abstract

Traffic emissions and industrial activities cause atmospheric contamination derived from fossil fuels. The potential uptake of air pollutants affects the ecosystem and decreases air quality. Trace metal accumulation on trees shows toxicity in their cells due to root uptake, pathways of leaf deposition, and foliar absorption over the years. Trees can indeed provide data for the deposition quantity for a long time. Thus, urban landscape trees can be effectively trackable as a biomonitor to assess regional atmospheric pollution by starting a new research area. This study's aim was to perform Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Al, Cd, and Fe deposition to landscape trees within a region in Ankara by motor vehicles, residential areas, and small industries. Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) selected as native landscape tree species, an invader street tree, and overstrained species in urban areas. It was used as a biomonitor to determine the trends of trace metals and analyzed via tree rings the long-term atmospheric deposition between 1950 and 2020. The obtained results were determined as wood < inner bark < outer bark by years. The toxic metal accumulation was significantly correlated with emissions of sources as follows: Al (758.04 ppm) > Fe (275.47 ppm) > Mn (52.68 ppm) > Ni (38.09 ppm) > Cr (36.40 ppm) > Cu (32.34 ppm) > Zn (29.22 ppm) > Cd (0.50 ppm). The street tree rings of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) can be used as retrospective biomonitoring for estimating metal contamination levels.