TY - JOUR
T1 - Urban allotment gardens for the biomonitoring of atmospheric trace element pollution
AU - Izquierdo-Díaz, Miguel
AU - Holm, Peter E.
AU - Barrio-Parra, Fernando
AU - De Miguel, Eduardo
AU - Lekfeldt, Jonas Duus Stevens
AU - Magid, Jakob
PY - 2019/3/1
Y1 - 2019/3/1
N2 -
This study evaluates the results of the characterization of air pollution in urban green areas using edible plants. To this purpose, we examined the effect of location (i.e., three different levels of pollution), substrate (peat moss and vermiculite), and plant species (oilseed rape [Brassica napus L.] and kale [Brassica oleracea L.]) on the accumulation of trace elements on leaves. A total of 36 samples of unwashed leaves were digested with HNO
3
–H
2
O
2
and analyzed for 27 elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Considering the location, plants exposed next to the road showed higher contents of traffic-related elements, and additionally, outdoors samples were enriched in marine aerosol ions. Cadmium and Pb concentrations did not exceed the European legal maximum levels for vegetables, so their consumption would be safe for human health. Results support the hypothesis that edible plants such as kale and rapeseed could be used as bioindicators of atmospheric pollution.
AB -
This study evaluates the results of the characterization of air pollution in urban green areas using edible plants. To this purpose, we examined the effect of location (i.e., three different levels of pollution), substrate (peat moss and vermiculite), and plant species (oilseed rape [Brassica napus L.] and kale [Brassica oleracea L.]) on the accumulation of trace elements on leaves. A total of 36 samples of unwashed leaves were digested with HNO
3
–H
2
O
2
and analyzed for 27 elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Considering the location, plants exposed next to the road showed higher contents of traffic-related elements, and additionally, outdoors samples were enriched in marine aerosol ions. Cadmium and Pb concentrations did not exceed the European legal maximum levels for vegetables, so their consumption would be safe for human health. Results support the hypothesis that edible plants such as kale and rapeseed could be used as bioindicators of atmospheric pollution.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063810236&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2134/jeq2018.06.0232
DO - 10.2134/jeq2018.06.0232
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30951104
AN - SCOPUS:85063810236
SN - 0047-2425
VL - 48
SP - 518
EP - 525
JO - Journal of Environmental Quality
JF - Journal of Environmental Quality
IS - 2
ER -
