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Mandal M, Popek R, Przybysz A, Roy A, Das S, Sarkar A. Breathing Fresh Air in the City: Implementing Avenue Trees as a Sustainable Solution to Reduce Particulate Pollution in Urban Agglomerations. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1545. [PMID: 37050171 PMCID: PMC10097214 DOI: 10.3390/plants12071545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The issue of air pollution from particulate matter (PM) is getting worse as more and more people move into urban areas around the globe. Due to the complexity and diversity of pollution sources, it has long been hard to rely on source control techniques to manage this issue. Due to the fact that urban trees may provide a variety of ecosystem services, there is an urgent need to investigate alternative strategies for dramatically improving air quality. PM has always been a significant concern due to its adverse effects on humans and the entire ecosystem. The severity of this issue has risen in the current global environmental context. Numerous studies on respiratory and other human disorders have revealed a statistical relationship between human exposure to outdoor levels of particles or dust and harmful health effects. These risks are undeniably close to industrial areas where these airborne, inhalable particles are produced. The combined and individual effects of the particle and gaseous contaminants on plants' general physiology can be detrimental. According to research, plant leaves, the primary receptors of PM pollution, can function as biological filters to remove significant amounts of particles from the atmosphere of urban areas. This study showed that vegetation could provide a promising green infrastructure (GI) for better air quality through the canopy and leaf-level processes, going beyond its traditional role as a passive target and sink for air pollutants. Opportunities exist for urban GI as a natural remedy for urban pollution caused by PMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamun Mandal
- Laboratory of Applied Stress Biology, Department of Botany, University of Gour Banga, Malda 732103, West Bengal, India
| | - Robert Popek
- Section of Basic Research in Horticulture, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW (WULS-SGGW), Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Przybysz
- Section of Basic Research in Horticulture, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW (WULS-SGGW), Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anamika Roy
- Laboratory of Applied Stress Biology, Department of Botany, University of Gour Banga, Malda 732103, West Bengal, India
| | - Sujit Das
- Laboratory of Applied Stress Biology, Department of Botany, University of Gour Banga, Malda 732103, West Bengal, India
| | - Abhijit Sarkar
- Laboratory of Applied Stress Biology, Department of Botany, University of Gour Banga, Malda 732103, West Bengal, India
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Maher BA, Gonet T, Karloukovski VV, Wang H, Bannan TJ. Protecting playgrounds: local-scale reduction of airborne particulate matter concentrations through particulate deposition on roadside ‘tredges’ (green infrastructure). Sci Rep 2022; 12:14236. [PMID: 35987916 PMCID: PMC9392798 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18509-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to traffic-related particulate air pollution has been linked with excess risks for a range of cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological health outcomes; risks likely to be exacerbated in young children attending schools adjacent to highly-trafficked roads. One immediate way of reducing airborne PM concentrations at the local (i.e., near-road community) scale is installation of roadside vegetation as a means of passive pollution abatement. Roadside vegetation can decrease airborne PM concentrations, through PM deposition on leaves, but can also increase them, by impeding airflow and PM dispersion. Critical to optimizing PM removal is selection of species with high particle deposition velocity (Vd) values, currently under-parameterised in most modelling studies. Here, the measured amounts of leaf-deposited magnetic PM after roadside greening (‘tredge’) installation, and measured reductions in playground PM, particle number and black carbon concentrations demonstrate that air quality improvements by deposition can be achieved at the local, near-road, community/playground scale. PM deposition on the western red cedar tredge removed ~ 49% of BC, and ~ 46% and 26% of the traffic-sourced PM2.5 and PM1, respectively. These findings demonstrate that roadside vegetation can be designed, installed and maintained to achieve rapid, significant, cost-effective improvement of air quality by optimising PM deposition on plant leaves.
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Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Reducing Atmospheric Pollution Particles. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14051255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant. PM2.5 and PM10 pose particularly serious threats to the ecological environment and human health. Vegetation plays an important role in reducing the concentration of particles. Based on a long time series of air quality, meteorological, and vegetation coverage data in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, the present paper evaluated the influence at the overall and built-up area scales and quantified the process involved in the dry settlement of particles on vegetation based on a mathematical model. The experimental results showed that (1) the total amounts of PM10 reduced by vegetation in the BTH area were 505,200 t, 465,500 t, 477,200 t and 396,500 t in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively, and the total amount of PM2.5 was reduced by 19,400 t, 19,200 t, 16,400 t and 12,700 t, respectively. The annual reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 from 2015 to 2018 by vegetation in the BTH region showed a downwards trend, and the annual reduction was mainly caused by the significant decrease in PM concentration. (2) More than 80% of the reduction in annual yield was concentrated in May–September, and a large leaf area was the main reason for the largest yield reduction in the growing season. The efficiency of PM reduction in forestland was approximately five–seven times that in grassland, and the deciduous broad-leaved forest was the main driver of this reduction in each forest. (3) The reduction in PM10 by vegetation was approximately 30 times that of PM2.5. However, the reduction in PM2.5 by vegetation should not be ignored because PM2.5 has a stronger correlation with human production and living activities. Increasing the area and density of green space via afforestation, returning farmland to forest and giving full play to the self-purification function of green spaces are very important to reducing and controlling the concentration of PM.
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Evaluation of Vegetation Configuration Models for Managing Particulate Matter along the Urban Street Environment. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
As a green infrastructure component, urban street vegetation is increasingly being utilized to mitigate air pollution, control microclimates, and provide aesthetic and ecological benefits. This study investigated the effect of vegetation configurations on particulate matter (PM) flows for pedestrians in road traffic environments via a computation fluid dynamics analysis based on the road width (four and eight-lane) and vegetation configuration (single-, multi-layer planting, and vegetation barrier). Airflow changes due to vegetation influenced PM inflow into the sidewalk. Vegetation between roadways and sidewalks were effective at reducing PM concentrations. Compared to single-layer planting (trees only), planting structures capable of separating sidewalk and roadway airflows, such as a multi-layer planting vegetation barrier (trees and shrubs), were more effective at minimizing PM on the sidewalk; for wider roads, a multi-layer structure was the most effective. Furthermore, along a four-lane road, the appropriate vegetation volume and width for reducing PM based on the breathing height (1.5 m) were 0.6 m3 and 0.4 m, respectively. The appropriate vegetation volume and width around eight-lane roads, were 1.2–1.4 m3 and 0.8–0.93 m, respectively. The results of this study can provide appropriate standards for street vegetation design to reduce PM concentrations along sidewalks.
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Wróblewska K, Jeong BR. Effectiveness of plants and green infrastructure utilization in ambient particulate matter removal. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2021; 33:110. [PMID: 34603905 PMCID: PMC8475335 DOI: 10.1186/s12302-021-00547-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is regarded as an increasingly threatening, major environmental risk for human health. Seven million deaths are attributed to air pollution each year, 91% of which is due to particulate matter. Vegetation is a xenobiotic means of removing particulate matter. This review presents the mechanisms of PM capture by plants and factors that influence PM reduction in the atmosphere. Vegetation is ubiquitously approved as a PM removal solution in cities, taking various forms of green infrastructure. This review also refers to the effectiveness of plant exploitation in GI: trees, grasslands, green roofs, living walls, water reservoirs, and urban farming. Finally, methods of increasing the PM removal by plants, such as species selection, biodiversity increase, PAH-degrading phyllospheric endophytes, transgenic plants and microorganisms, are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Wróblewska
- Department of Horticulture, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828 South Korea
| | - Byoung Ryong Jeong
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828 South Korea
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), Graduate School, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828 South Korea
- Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
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Barbosa MDM, Fernandes ACC, Alves RSC, Alves DA, Barbosa Junior F, Batista BL, Ribeiro MC, Hornos Carneiro MF. Effects of native forest and human-modified land covers on the accumulation of toxic metals and metalloids in the tropical bee Tetragonisca angustula. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 215:112147. [PMID: 33756294 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The intensive shift on land cover by anthropogenic activities have led to changes in natural habitats and environmental contamination, which can ultimately impact and threat biodiversity and ecosystem services, such as pollination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of native forest and human-modified land covers on the concentrations of chemical elements accumulated in the neotropical pollinator bee T. angustula. Eight landscapes, within an Ecological Corridor in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, with gradients of forest cover, spatial heterogeneity and varying land covers were used as sampling unities. Bees collected in traps or through actives searches had the concentration of 21 chemical elements determined by ICP-MS. Results show a beneficial effect of forested areas on the concentrations of some well-known toxic elements accumulated in bees, such as Hg, Cd, and Cr. Multivariate Redundancy Analysis (RDA) suggests road as the most important driver for the levels of Cr, Hg, Sb, Al, U, As, Pb and Pt and bare soil, pasture and urban areas as the landscape covers responsible for the concentrations of Zn, Cd, Mn, Mg, Ba and Sr in bees. The results reinforce the potential use of T. angustula bees as bioindicators of environmental quality and also show that these organisms are being directly affected by human land use, offering potential risks for the Neotropical ecosystem. Our study sheds light on how land covers (native forest and human-modified) can influence the levels of contaminants in insects within human-dominated landscapes. The generation of predictions of the levels of toxic metals and metalloids based on land use can both contribute to friendly farming planning as well as to support public policy development on the surrounding of protected areas and biodiversity conservation hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela de Matos Barbosa
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Rafael Souza Cruz Alves
- Laboratório de Ecologia Espacial e Conservação, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual "Julio de Mesquita Filho", Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Denise Araujo Alves
- Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Fernando Barbosa Junior
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Bruno Lemos Batista
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, Brazil
| | - Milton Cezar Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Espacial e Conservação, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual "Julio de Mesquita Filho", Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda Hornos Carneiro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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7
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Impacts of Composition and Canopy Characteristics of Plant Communities on Microclimate and Airborne Particles in Beijing, China. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13094791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
As the basic component of urban green-spaces, plant communities regulate both the microclimate and air particle levels. Understanding the regulatory mechanism of plant communities represents the theoretical basis for using green spaces to improve the urban climate and mitigate air particle pollution. Based on field investigations, differences in the daily air temperatures (AT), relative humidity (RH), and PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in eight compositional types of plant communities were quantitatively analyzed. In addition, the correlations between these variables and various canopy parameters were further established in order to detect critical thresholds. The results showed that, among the eight compositional types, significant differences existed in daily AT, RH, PM10 and PM2.5 levels. The mixed tree, shrub and grass (M-TSG) community had the strongest cooling and PM10 reduction effects; the broad-leafed tree, shrub and grass (B-TSG) community had the best humidifying effect; while the mixed tree and grass (M-TG) community most effectively reduced PM2.5 concentrations. The daily AT and PM10 concentrations were significantly negatively correlated with canopy density (CD) and leaf area index (LAI), but positively correlated with canopy porosity (CP) and sky view factor (SVF), while these correlations were opposite for daily RH. The response of daily PM2.5 concentrations to canopy characteristics was complex, featuring multiple non-linear relations. Critical thresholds were found in some cases. Overall, M-TSG or M-TG communities with about 75% CD, 55% CP, 2.5 LAI and 0.18 SVF perform most noticeable both microclimate and air particle regulation services.
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Tositti L, Moroni B, Dinelli E, Morozzi P, Brattich E, Sebastiani B, Petroselli C, Crocchianti S, Selvaggi R, Enzo G, Cappelletti D. Deposition processes over complex topographies: Experimental data meets atmospheric modeling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 744:140974. [PMID: 32755785 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The present paper describes the assessment of the atmospheric deposition processes in a basin valley through a multidisciplinary approach based on the data collected within an extensive physico-chemical characterization of the soils, combined with the local meteorology. Surface soil cores were collected on a NNW-SSE transect across the Terni basin (Central Italy), between the Monti Martani and the Monti Sabini chains (956 m a.s.l.), featuring the heavily polluted urban and industrial enclave of Terni on its bottom. Airborne radiotracers, namely 210Pb and 137Cs, have been used to highlight atmospheric deposition. We observed an increased deposition flux of 210Pb and 137Cs at sites located at the highest altitudes, and the associated concentration profiles in soil allowed to evaluate the role of atmospheric deposition. We also obtained a comprehensive dataset of stable anthropogenic pollutants of atmospheric origin that showed heterogeneity along the transect. The behavior has been explained by the local characteristic of the soil, by seeder-feeder processes promoted by the atmospheric circulation, and was reconciled with the concentration profile of radiotracers by factor analysis. Finally, the substantial impact of the local industrial activities on soil profiles and the role of the planetary boundary layer has been discussed and supported by simulations employing a Lagrangian dispersion model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tositti
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Bologna (BO) 40126, Italy.
| | - Beatrice Moroni
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Perugia (PG) 06123, Italy
| | - Enrico Dinelli
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Bologna (BO) 40126, Italy; Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), U.O.S. Ravenna, Ravenna (RA) 48123, Italy
| | - Pietro Morozzi
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Bologna (BO) 40126, Italy
| | - Erika Brattich
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, Bologna (BO), 40126 Bologna (BO), Italy
| | - Bartolomeo Sebastiani
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Perugia (PG) 06123, Italy
| | - Chiara Petroselli
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, 12 University Road, SO17 1BJ Southampton, UK
| | - Stefano Crocchianti
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Perugia (PG) 06123, Italy
| | - Roberta Selvaggi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Perugia (PG) 06123, Italy
| | - Goretti Enzo
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Perugia (PG) 06123, Italy
| | - David Cappelletti
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Perugia (PG) 06123, Italy
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van Geen A, Yao Y, Ellis T, Gelman A. Fallout of Lead Over Paris From the 2019 Notre-Dame Cathedral Fire. GEOHEALTH 2020; 4:e2020GH000279. [PMID: 33855247 PMCID: PMC8027784 DOI: 10.1029/2020gh000279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The roof and spire of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris that caught fire and collapsed on 15 April 2019 were covered with 460 t of lead (Pb). Government reports documented Pb deposition immediately downwind of the cathedral and a twentyfold increase in airborne Pb concentrations at a distance of 50 km in the aftermath. For this study, we collected 100 samples of surface soil from tree pits, parks, and other sites in all directions within 1 km of the cathedral. Concentrations of Pb measured by X-ray fluorescence range from 30 to 9,000 mg/kg across the area, with a higher proportion of elevated concentrations to the northwest of the cathedral, in the direction of the wind prevailing during the fire. By integrating these observations with a Gaussian process regression model, we estimate that the average concentration of Pb in surface soil downwind of the cathedral is 430 (95% interval, 300-590) mg/kg, nearly double the average Pb concentration in the other directions of 240 (95% interval, 170-320) mg/kg. The difference corresponds to an integrated excess Pb inventory within a 1 km radius of 1.0 (95% interval, 0.5-1.5) t, about 0.2% of all the Pb covering the roof and spire. This is over 6 times the estimated amount of Pb deposited downwind 1-50 km from the cathedral. To what extent the concentrated fallout within 1 km documented here temporarily exposed the downwind population to Pb is difficult to confirm independently because too few soil, dust, and blood samples were collected immediately after the fire.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuling Yao
- Department of StatisticsColumbia UniversityNew York, NYUSA
| | - Tyler Ellis
- Lamont‐Doherty Earth ObservatoryColumbia UniversityPalisadesNYUSA
| | - Andrew Gelman
- Department of StatisticsColumbia UniversityNew York, NYUSA
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Hewitt CN, Ashworth K, MacKenzie AR. Using green infrastructure to improve urban air quality (GI4AQ). AMBIO 2020; 49:62-73. [PMID: 30879268 PMCID: PMC6889104 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01164-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
As evidence for the devastating impacts of air pollution on human health continues to increase, improving urban air quality has become one of the most pressing tasks facing policy makers world-wide. Increasingly, and very often on the basis of conflicting and/or weak evidence, the introduction of green infrastructure (GI) is seen as a win-win solution to urban air pollution, reducing ground-level concentrations without imposing restrictions on traffic and other polluting activities. The impact of GI on air quality is highly context dependent, with models suggesting that GI can improve urban air quality in some situations, but be ineffective or even detrimental in others. Here we set out a novel conceptual framework explaining how and where GI can improve air quality, and offer six specific policy interventions, underpinned by research, that will always allow GI to improve air quality. We call GI with unambiguous benefits for air quality GI4AQ. However, GI4AQ will always be a third-order option for mitigating air pollution, after reducing emissions and extending the distance between sources and receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Nick Hewitt
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ UK
| | - Kirsti Ashworth
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ UK
| | - A. Rob MacKenzie
- Birmingham Institute for Forest Research and School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
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He C, Qiu K, Pott R. Reduction of traffic-related particulate matter by roadside plants: effect of traffic pressure and sampling height. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION 2019; 22:184-200. [PMID: 31452387 DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2019.1652565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric particulate matters (PM) caused by urban traffic system put residents' health at serious risk. As a method of phytoremediation to mitigate this risk, roadside plants show significant potential to remove PM from the air. However, the relationship between traffic pressure, height, and leaves' capturing capacity is rarely reported. In this study, two common effective roadside plants (Hedera helix, Taxus baccata) with typical leaf shapes (broad and needle-leaved) were selected to explore the foliage capacity under high, middle and low traffic burden. A green wall covered by H. helix was tested to find out the relationship between heights and the amount of accumulated PM. Although the PM capturing capacity varied between different traffic pressures, needle-leaved species generally accumulated more PM than broad-leaved species. For PM10 capturing, needle-leaved species showed higher capacity under all traffic pressures except under the low traffic pressure. For PM2.5 capturing, needle-leaved species accumulated more PM only under the high traffic pressure. Needle-leaved plants were more sensitive to the change of traffic pressures, its PM capturing capacity changed notably between different traffic pressures because its leaf wax is more susceptible to be corroded. Leaf surface contact angle was slightly affected by the change of traffic pressure for broad-leaved species, but for needle-leaved species, it changed greatly. Leaf surface was the main zone for large PM capturing because the large PM was more likely to be stuck in grooves on the leaf surface, while leaf wax was mainly for fine PM absorption because PM with small sizes could adhere to the surface of the wax crystal. By comparing the amount of captured PM by leaf surface of urban roadside plants under different traffic pressures and height ranges, this study optimizes the benefits of roadside plants as traffic-related PM filter under different traffic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen He
- Institut für Geobotanik, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Kaiyang Qiu
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui, China
| | - Richard Pott
- Institut für Geobotanik, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hanover, Germany
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12
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Wang H, Maher BA, Ahmed IA, Davison B. Efficient Removal of Ultrafine Particles from Diesel Exhaust by Selected Tree Species: Implications for Roadside Planting for Improving the Quality of Urban Air. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:6906-6916. [PMID: 31095364 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Human exposure to airborne ultrafine (≪1 μm) particulate pollution may pose substantial hazards to human health, particularly in urban roadside environments where very large numbers of people are frequently exposed to vehicle-derived ultrafine particles (UFPs). For mitigation purposes, it is timely and important to quantify the deposition of traffic-derived UFPs onto leaves of selected plant species, with particularly efficient particle capture (high deposition velocity), which can be installed curbside, proximal to the emitting vehicular sources. Here, we quantify the size-resolved capture efficiency of UFPs from diesel vehicle exhaust by nine temperate-zone plant species, in wind tunnel experiments. The results show that silver birch (79% UFP removal), yew (71%), and elder (70.5%) have very high capabilities for capture of airborne UFPs. Metal concentrations and metal enrichment ratios in leaf leachates were also highest for the postexposure silver birch leaves; scanning electron microscopy showed that UFPs were concentrated along the hairs of these leaves. For all but two species, magnetic measurements demonstrated substantial increases in the concentration of magnetic particles deposited on the leaves after exposure to the exhaust particulates. Together, these new data show that leaf-deposition of UFPs is chiefly responsible for the substantial reductions in particle numbers measured downwind of the vegetation. It is critical to recognize that the deposition velocity of airborne particulate matter (PM) to leaves is species-specific and often substantially higher (∼10 to 50 times higher) than the "standard" Vd values (e.g., 0.1-0.64 cm s-1 for PM2.5) used in most modeling studies. The use of such low Vd values in models results in a major under-estimation of PM removal by roadside vegetation and thus misrepresents the efficacy of selected vegetation species in the substantial (≫20%) removal of PM. Given the potential hazard to health posed by UFPs and the removal efficiencies shown here (and by previous roadside measurements), roadside planting (maintained at or below head height) of selected species at PM "hotspots" can contribute substantially and quickly to improve in urban air quality and reductions in human exposure. These findings can contribute to the development and implementation of mitigation policies of traffic-derived PM on an international scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixia Wang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering , Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology , Xi'an , 710055 , Shaanxi Province PRC
- Lancaster Environment Centre , University of Lancaster , Lancaster , LA1 4YQ , U.K
| | - Barbara A Maher
- Lancaster Environment Centre , University of Lancaster , Lancaster , LA1 4YQ , U.K
| | - Imad Am Ahmed
- Department of Earth Sciences , University of Oxford , Oxford , OX1 3AN , U.K
| | - Brian Davison
- Lancaster Environment Centre , University of Lancaster , Lancaster , LA1 4YQ , U.K
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Mori J, Fini A, Galimberti M, Ginepro M, Burchi G, Massa D, Ferrini F. Air pollution deposition on a roadside vegetation barrier in a Mediterranean environment: Combined effect of evergreen shrub species and planting density. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 643:725-737. [PMID: 29957437 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Leaf deposition of PM10-100, PM2.5-10, PM0.2-2.5 and of 21 elements was investigated in a roadside vegetation barrier formed by i) two evergreen shrub species (Photinia × fraseri, Viburnum lucidum), with ii) two planting densities (0.5, 1.0 plant m-2), at iii) three distances from the road (2.0, 5.5, 9.0 m), at iv) two heights from the ground (1.5, 3.0 m), and on v) three dates (Aug, Sep, Oct). The presence of black and brown on-leaf PM10-100 and their element composition were detected by microscopy and image analysis. Pollutant deposition was also measured using passive samplers at five distances from the road (2.0, 5.5, 9.0, 12.5, 19.5 m) in the area of the barrier and in an adjacent lawn area. V. lucidum had more PM2.5-10 and PM0.2-2.5 on leaves than P. × fraseri, while most elements were higher in P. × fraseri. Most pollutants decreased at increasing distances from the road and were higher at 1.5 m from the ground compared to 3.0 m. Higher planting density in P. × fraseri enhanced the deposition of PM10-100 and PM2.5-10, while in V. lucidum, the planting density did not affect the depositions. Black PM10-100 decreased a long distance from the road and was entirely composed of carbon and oxygen, which was thus identified as black carbon from fuel combustion. The vegetation barrier had a higher deposition of most PM fractions at 5.5-12.5 m, while in the lawn area, depositions did not change. At 19.5 m, the PM10-100 was 32% lower behind the barrier than in the lawn area. In conclusion, the vegetation barrier changed the deposition dynamics of pollutants compared to the lawn area. These results strengthen the role of vegetation barriers and shrub species against air pollution and may offer interesting insights for the use of new road green infrastructures to improve air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Mori
- Department of Agri-food Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Italy Daniele Massa and Gianluca Burchi - CREA Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Pescia, Italy.
| | - A Fini
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - M Galimberti
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - M Ginepro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Italy
| | - G Burchi
- CREA Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Pescia, Italy
| | - D Massa
- CREA Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Pescia, Italy
| | - F Ferrini
- Department of Agri-food Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Italy Daniele Massa and Gianluca Burchi - CREA Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Pescia, Italy
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Phyllostachys edulis forest reduces atmospheric PM 2.5 and PAHs on hazy days at suburban area. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12591. [PMID: 30135438 PMCID: PMC6105635 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30298-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
This study is aim to illustrate Phyllostachys edulis' role in affecting air quality under hazy day and solar day. P. edulis is a crucial plants growing well at suburban area at China Southern. In this manuscript, on 2 weather conditions (hazy day; solar day), changes in atmospheric particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), associated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and PAHs in leaves and soils were measured, with PM-detection equipment and the GC-MC method, in a typical bamboo forest at suburban areas. The results showed that: (1) Bamboo forest decreased atmospheric PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations significantly by 20% and 15%, respectively, on the hazy day nightfall time, when they were times higher than that on any other time. Also, similar effects on atmospheric PAHs and VOCs were found. (2) Significant increases in PAHs of leaves and soil were found inside the forest on the hazy day. (3) Bamboo forest also reduced the atmospheric VOC concentrations, and changed the compounds of 10 VOCs present in the highest concentration list. Thus, bamboo forests strongly regulate atmospheric PM2.5 through capture or retention, for the changes in atmospheric VOCs and increase in PAHs of leaves and soil.
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Alcock I, White M, Cherrie M, Wheeler B, Taylor J, McInnes R, Otte Im Kampe E, Vardoulakis S, Sarran C, Soyiri I, Fleming L. Land cover and air pollution are associated with asthma hospitalisations: A cross-sectional study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2017; 109:29-41. [PMID: 28926750 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing policy interest in the potential for vegetation in urban areas to mitigate harmful effects of air pollution on respiratory health. We aimed to quantify relationships between tree and green space density and asthma-related hospitalisations, and explore how these varied with exposure to background air pollution concentrations. METHODS Population standardised asthma hospitalisation rates (1997-2012) for 26,455 urban residential areas of England were merged with area-level data on vegetation and background air pollutant concentrations. We fitted negative binomial regression models using maximum likelihood estimation to obtain estimates of asthma-vegetation relationships at different levels of pollutant exposure. RESULTS Green space and gardens were associated with reductions in asthma hospitalisation when pollutant exposures were lower but had no significant association when pollutant exposures were higher. In contrast, tree density was associated with reduced asthma hospitalisation when pollutant exposures were higher but had no significant association when pollutant exposures were lower. CONCLUSIONS We found differential effects of natural environments at high and low background pollutant concentrations. These findings can provide evidence for urban planning decisions which aim to leverage health co-benefits from environmental improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mark Cherrie
- University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom; University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Rachel McInnes
- MetOffice, United Kingdom; University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sotiris Vardoulakis
- Institute of Occupational Medicine, United Kingdom; Public Health England, United Kingdom; University of Exeter, United Kingdom
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16
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Liang D, Ma C, Wang YQ, Wang YJ, Chen-xi Z. Quantifying PM 2.5 capture capability of greening trees based on leaf factors analyzing. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:21176-21186. [PMID: 27646446 PMCID: PMC5099360 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7687-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
As PM2.5 affect human health, it is important to target tree planting in the role of reducing air pollution concentrations. PM2.5 capture capability of greening trees is associated with leaf morphology, while quantitative research is scanty. In this paper, the PM2.5 capture capability of 25 species in Beijing and Chongqing were examined by a chamber device. Groove proportion, leaf hair, stomatal density, and stomata size were selected as indexes of leaf morphology. Results showed that groove proportion and stomata size significantly relate to PM2.5 capture quantity, while no significantly positive correlations were found for leaf hairs and stomatal density. Broadleaf species are conducive to PM2.5 capture for their rich leaf morphology and have an edge over coniferous in PM2.5 capture per leaf area. However, coniferous had a larger PM2.5 capture capability per tree due to the advantage of a large leaf area. Significant difference existed between the species in Beijing and Chongqing due to the different leaf morphology. Urban greening trees are diverse and the structures are complicated. Complex ecological environment may lead to different morphology characteristics. Climate and pollution conditions should be considered when greening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liang
- Soil and Water Conservation of Beijing Engineering Research Center, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China
| | - Chao Ma
- Soil and Water Conservation of Beijing Engineering Research Center, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China
- Chongqing Jinyun Forest Ecological Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China
| | - Yun-qi Wang
- Soil and Water Conservation of Beijing Engineering Research Center, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China
- Chongqing Jinyun Forest Ecological Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China
| | - Yu-jie Wang
- Soil and Water Conservation of Beijing Engineering Research Center, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China
- Chongqing Jinyun Forest Ecological Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China
| | - Zhao Chen-xi
- Beijing Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology (Beijing Institute of Geo-Environment Monitoring), Beijing, China
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van der Steen JJM, Cornelissen B, Blacquière T, Pijnenburg JEML, Severijnen M. Think regionally, act locally: metals in honeybee workers in the Netherlands (surveillance study 2008). ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2016; 188:463. [PMID: 27406208 PMCID: PMC4942485 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-016-5451-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
In June 2008, a surveillance study for metals in honeybees was performed in the Netherlands. Randomly, 150 apiaries were selected. In each apiary, five colonies were sampled. Per apiary, the hive samples were pooled. The apiary sample was analysed for Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, V and Zn. All metals could be detected in all apiaries. As, Li, Sb, Sn and V were detected in part of the apiaries. The overall picture showed a regional pattern. In apiaries in the east of the Netherlands, Al, Ba, Cr, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se and Ti are found in higher concentrations compared to the west. In-region variation was demonstrated, indicating local effects. The vicinity of the apiaries was mapped afterwards and characterised as land uses of >50 % agricultural area, >50 % wooded area, >50 % urban area and mixed land use within a circle of 28 km(2) around the apiary. The results indicated that in apiaries located in >50 % wooded areas, significantly higher concentrations of Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Sr, Ti and Zn were found compared to agricultural, urban and mixed land use areas. We conclude that (1) the ratio between metal concentrations varies per region, demonstrating spatial differences, and (2) there is in-region local variation per metal. The results indicate the impact of land use on metal concentrations in honeybees. For qualitative bioindication studies, regional, local and land use effects should be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - B Cornelissen
- Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - T Blacquière
- Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - J E M L Pijnenburg
- Provincie Limburg, Milieu, Onderzoek & Advies, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - M Severijnen
- Provincie Limburg, Milieu, Onderzoek & Advies, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Bealey WJ, Dore AJ, Dragosits U, Reis S, Reay DS, Sutton MA. The potential for tree planting strategies to reduce local and regional ecosystem impacts of agricultural ammonia emissions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016; 165:106-116. [PMID: 26413804 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Revised: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Trees are very effective at capturing both gaseous and particulate pollutants from the atmosphere. But while studies have often focussed on PM and NOx in the urban environment, little research has been carried out on the tree effect of capturing gaseous emissions of ammonia in the rural landscape. To examine the removal or scavenging of ammonia by trees a long-range atmospheric model (FRAME) was used to compare two strategies that could be used in emission reduction policies anywhere in the world where nitrogen pollution from agriculture is a problem. One strategy was to reduce the emission source strength of livestock management systems by implementing two 'tree-capture' systems scenarios - tree belts downwind of housing and managing livestock under trees. This emission reduction can be described as an 'on-farm' emission reduction policy, as ammonia is 'stopped' from dispersion outside the farm boundaries. The second strategy was to apply an afforestation policy targeting areas of high ammonia emission through two planting scenarios of increasing afforestation by 25% and 50%. Both strategies use trees with the aim of intercepting NH3 emissions to protect semi-natural areas. Scenarios for on-farm emission reductions showed national reductions in nitrogen deposition to semi-natural areas of 0.14% (0.2 kt N-NHx) to 2.2% (3.15 kt N-NHx). Scenarios mitigating emissions from cattle and pig housing gave the highest reductions. The afforestation strategy showed national reductions of 6% (8.4 kt N-NHx) to 11% (15.7 kt N-NHx) for 25% and 50% afforestation scenarios respectively. Increased capture by the planted trees also showed an added benefit of reducing long range effects including a decrease in wet deposition up to 3.7 kt N-NHx (4.6%) and a decrease in export from the UK up to 8.3 kt N-NHx (6.8%).
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Affiliation(s)
- W J Bealey
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom.
| | - A J Dore
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - U Dragosits
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - S Reis
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - D S Reay
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, High School Yards, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, United Kingdom
| | - M A Sutton
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
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Chen L, Liu C, Zou R, Yang M, Zhang Z. Experimental examination of effectiveness of vegetation as bio-filter of particulate matters in the urban environment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 208:198-208. [PMID: 26385643 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2015] [Revised: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Studies focused on pollutants deposition on vegetation surfaces or aerodynamics of vegetation space conflict in whether vegetation planting can effectively reduce airborne particulate matter (PM) pollution. To achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the conflict, we conducted experiments during 2013 and 2014 in Beijing, China to evaluate the importance of vegetation species, planting configurations and wind in influencing PM concentration at urban and street scales. Results showed that wind field prevailed over the purification function by vegetation at urban scale. All six examined planting configurations reduced total suspended particle along horizontal but not vertical direction. Shrubs and trees-grass configurations performed most effectively for horizontal PM2.5 reduction, but adversely for vertical attenuation. Trapping capacity of PMs was species-specific, but species selection criteria could hardly be generalized for practical use. Therefore, design of planting configuration is practically more effective than tree species selection in attenuating the ambient PM concentrations in urban settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Chen
- Key Lab of Soil & Water Conservation & Desertification Combating, Ministry of Education, College of Soil & Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Chenming Liu
- Key Lab of Soil & Water Conservation & Desertification Combating, Ministry of Education, College of Soil & Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Rui Zou
- Key Lab of Soil & Water Conservation & Desertification Combating, Ministry of Education, College of Soil & Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Mao Yang
- Key Lab of Soil & Water Conservation & Desertification Combating, Ministry of Education, College of Soil & Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- Key Lab of Soil & Water Conservation & Desertification Combating, Ministry of Education, College of Soil & Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Qinghua East Road 35, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, PR China.
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20
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The Concentrations and Reduction of Airborne Particulate Matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1) at Shelterbelt Site in Beijing. ATMOSPHERE 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos6050650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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21
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Matisoff G. (210)Pb as a tracer of soil erosion, sediment source area identification and particle transport in the terrestrial environment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2014; 138:343-354. [PMID: 24736095 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2012] [Revised: 11/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Although (137)Cs has been used extensively to study soil erosion and particle transport in the terrestrial environment, there has been much less work using excess or unsupported (210)Pb ((210)Pbxs) to study the same processes. Furthermore, since (137)Cs activities in soils are decreasing because of radioactive decay, some locations have an added complication due to the addition of Chernobyl-derived (137)Cs, and the activities of (137)Cs in the southern hemisphere are low, there is a need to develop techniques that use (210)Pbxs to provide estimates of rates of soil erosion and particle transport. This paper reviews the current status of (210)Pbxs methods to quantify soil erosion rates, to identify and partition suspended sediment source areas, and to determine the transport rates of particles in the terrestrial landscape. Soil erosion rates determined using (210)Pbxs are based on the unsupported (210)Pb ((210)Pbxs) inventory in the soil, the depth distribution of (210)Pbxs, and a mass balance calibration ('conversion model') that relates the soil inventory to the erosion rate using a 'reference site' at which neither soil erosion nor soil deposition has occurred. In this paper several different models are presented to illustrate the effects of different model assumptions such as the timing, depth and rates of the surface soil mixing on the calculated erosion rates. The suitability of model assumptions, including estimates of the depositional flux of (210)Pbxs to the soil surface and the post-depositional mobility of (210)Pb are also discussed. (210)Pb can be used as one tracer to permit sediment source area identification. This sediment 'fingerprinting' has been extended far beyond using (210)Pb as a single radioisotope to include numerous radioactive and stable tracers and has been applied to identifying the source areas of suspended sediment based on underlying rock type, land use (roads, stream banks, channel beds, cultivated or uncultivated lands, pasture lands, forested lands, construction sites, undisturbed lands) or style of erosion (sheet wash, rills, bank). The transport time of particles in the terrestrial system can be estimated using (7)Be/(210)Pbxs radionuclide ratios and from mass balance models of (210)Pbxs and/or (7)Be in streams. Watershed residence times can be calculated from the radionuclide inventory and the erosional loss rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Matisoff
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-7216, USA.
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22
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RETRACTED ARTICLE: Role of a Riparian Forest in Soil Decontamination of the Kebir-Rhumel Wadi (Algeria). ARABIAN JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s13369-014-1113-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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23
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Maher BA, Ahmed IAM, Davison B, Karloukovski V, Clarke R. Impact of roadside tree lines on indoor concentrations of traffic-derived particulate matter. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:13737-13744. [PMID: 24215538 DOI: 10.1021/es404363m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to airborne particulate pollution is associated with premature mortality and a range of inflammatory illnesses, linked to toxic components within the particulate matter (PM) assemblage. The effectiveness of trees in reducing urban PM10 concentrations is intensely debated. Modeling studies indicate PM10 reductions from as low as 1% to as high as ~60%. Empirical data, especially at the local scale, are rare. Here, we use conventional PM10 monitoring along with novel, inexpensive magnetic measurements of television screen swabs to measure changes in PM10 concentrations inside a row of roadside houses, after temporarily installing a curbside line of young birch trees. Independently, the two approaches identify >50% reductions in measured PM levels inside those houses screened by the temporary tree line. Electron microscopy analyses show that leaf-captured PM is concentrated in agglomerations around leaf hairs and within the leaf microtopography. Iron-rich, ultrafine, spherical particles, probably combustion-derived, are abundant, form a particular hazard to health, and likely contribute much of the measured magnetic remanences. Leaf magnetic measurements show that PM capture occurs on both the road-proximal and -distal sides of the trees. The efficacy of roadside trees for mitigation of PM health hazard might be seriously underestimated in some current atmospheric models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara A Maher
- Centre for Environmental Magnetism & Palaeomagnetism, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University , Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
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von Bobrutzki K, Ammon C, Berg W, Einert P, Fiedler M, Müller HJ, Scherer D, Strohbach B. Ammonia emissions from a broiler farm: spatial variability of airborne concentrations in the vicinity and impact on adjacent woodland. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2012; 184:3775-3787. [PMID: 21785840 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-2223-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2010] [Accepted: 06/30/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural NH(3) emissions affect air quality and influence the nitrogen cycle. In the subject study, NH(3) emissions from a broiler farm and the resulting atmospheric concentrations in the immediate vicinity during three growing cycles have been quantified. Additionally, vegetation along a transect in an adjacent woodland was analysed. The emissions were as high as 10 kg NH(3) h(-1) and the atmospheric concentrations ranged between 33 and 124 μg NH(3) m(-3) per week in the immediate vicinity. Measurements of the atmospheric concentrations over 7 weeks showed a substantial decline of mean concentrations (based on a 3-week average) from ∼13 to <3 μg NH(3) m(-3), at 45- and 415-m distance from the farm. Vegetation surveys showed that nitrophilous species flourished when they grew closest to the farm (their occurrence sank proportionately with distance). A clearly visible damage of pine trees was observed within 200 m of the farm; this illustrated the significant impact of NH(3) emissions from agricultural sources on the sensitive ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina von Bobrutzki
- Department of Engineering for Livestock Management, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam-Bornim, Max-Eyth-Allee 100, 14469 Potsdam, Germany.
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Kouznetsov R, Sofiev M. A methodology for evaluation of vertical dispersion and dry deposition of atmospheric aerosols. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2011jd016366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Fritsch C, Cœurdassier M, Giraudoux P, Raoul F, Douay F, Rieffel D, de Vaufleury A, Scheifler R. Spatially explicit analysis of metal transfer to biota: influence of soil contamination and landscape. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20682. [PMID: 21655187 PMCID: PMC3105103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2010] [Accepted: 05/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Concepts and developments for a new field in ecotoxicology, referred to as “landscape ecotoxicology,” were proposed in the 1990s; however, to date, few studies have been developed in this emergent field. In fact, there is a strong interest in developing this area, both for renewing the concepts and tools used in ecotoxicology as well as for responding to practical issues, such as risk assessment. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial heterogeneity of metal bioaccumulation in animals in order to identify the role of spatially explicit factors, such as landscape as well as total and extractable metal concentrations in soils. Over a smelter-impacted area, we studied the accumulation of trace metals (TMs: Cd, Pb and Zn) in invertebrates (the grove snail Cepaea sp and the glass snail Oxychilus draparnaudi) and vertebrates (the bank vole Myodes glareolus and the greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula). Total and CaCl2-extractable concentrations of TMs were measured in soils from woody patches where the animals were captured. TM concentrations in animals exhibited a high spatial heterogeneity. They increased with soil pollution and were better explained by total rather than CaCl2-extractable TM concentrations, except in Cepaea sp. TM levels in animals and their variations along the pollution gradient were modulated by the landscape, and this influence was species and metal specific. Median soil metal concentrations (predicted by universal kriging) were calculated in buffers of increasing size and were related to bioaccumulation. The spatial scale at which TM concentrations in animals and soils showed the strongest correlations varied between metals, species and landscapes. The potential underlying mechanisms of landscape influence (community functioning, behaviour, etc.) are discussed. Present results highlight the need for the further development of landscape ecotoxicology and multi-scale approaches, which would enhance our understanding of pollutant transfer and effects in ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Fritsch
- Department of Chrono-Environment, UMR UFC/CNRS 6249 USC INRA, University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.
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Fritsch C, Giraudoux P, Cœurdassier M, Douay F, Raoul F, Pruvot C, Waterlot C, de Vaufleury A, Scheifler R. Spatial distribution of metals in smelter-impacted soils of woody habitats: influence of landscape and soil properties, and risk for wildlife. CHEMOSPHERE 2010; 81:141-155. [PMID: 20673957 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.06.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2010] [Revised: 06/15/2010] [Accepted: 06/29/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The spatial distribution of total and CaCl(2)-extracted Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations in smelter-impacted soils was investigated over a polluted site (40 km(2)) in Northern France. The study was conducted on 262 soils sampled in woody habitats. Total and extracted concentrations of trace metals (TMs) rose up to 2402 and 59.5 mg kg(-1) for Cd, 41 960 and 13.7 mg kg(-1) for Pb, 38 760 and 143.0 mg kg(-1) for Zn, respectively. The spatial dependence of both total and extracted concentrations showed a high spatial auto-correlation and ordinary kriging was used to predict soil concentrations. Investigating which variables influenced metal concentrations and their spatial distribution, we found that total concentrations mostly depended on the distance from the smelter, the wind and the organic carbon, while extracted concentrations were mainly modulated by the pH. Conditionally to those variables, other soil properties and landscape characteristics influenced both total and extracted concentrations. We conclude that total and extracted TM concentrations are governed by different processes which act at various spatial ranges: total concentrations are mainly related to input and retention of metals (large scale) whereas extracted concentrations were mainly explained by factors controlling metal solubility in soils (local scale). Spatial distributions of total and extracted TMs differed over the area, which should be considered for risk assessment. Maps of risk based on the US EPA's Eco-SSLs (for plants, invertebrates and vertebrates) were realized, showing that wildlife may be at risk but that the relevance of Eco-SSL values is questionable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Fritsch
- Department of Chrono-Environment, UMR UFC/CNRS 6249 USC INRA, University of Franche-Comté, Place Leclerc, F-25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
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Abstract
We propose that a basic biological imperative of all organisms is to maximise energy (E) intensity, defined as the average rate of energy use per unit area of the Earth's surface. The dominant organism in any given environment is predicted to be that exerting the greatest E intensity regardless of evolutionary origin. Our 'theory of biological E intensity' thus explains variation in life form in terms of adaptations as opposed to accidents of biological history. It defines the competitive criterion in all metabolic pathways and industrial processes as the average rate of kinetic energy use, excluding heating but including all directed biological kinesis at scales up to the whole organism. A suggested unit for E intensity is joules per square meter per year. Because catalysts are crucial to extremely rapid use of energy (and therefore maximisation of E intensity), catalytic nutrient elements can be viewed as the ultimate means of life. It follows that a common denominator of all dominant organisms would be the acquisition of an optimal catalytic formula as determined by concentrations and ratios of C, H, O, N, S, Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo, Cd, I, W, and Hg. The likely local shortages of various of these elements can theoretically be alleviated by various changes in the size, shape, and/or behaviour of organisms, depending on the environment. Thus, the availability, and potential for supplementation, of catalytic elements would be the ultimate basis for adaptation, largely determining which life form dominates in any particular location. The theory predicts the following. (1) In nutrient-rich environments offering the optimal catalytic formula, dominant organisms will be microbes. This is because microbes, and prokaryotes in particular, excel in E intensity through rapid biomolecular turnover, enabling them to usurp resources despite minimising biomass, complexity, and information. (2) Where the environment is catabolically dystrophic (i.e. scarce in certain nutrients required for catabolism), macrobes (e.g. humans and trees) will be superior competitors because they can collect and supplement nutrients and thereby approach the optimal catalytic formula. This enables macrobes, despite having considerably slower metabolism per unit body mass, to enhance E intensity relative to competing microbes constrained by catabolic dystrophy. Finally, (3) where the environment is anabolically dystrophic (i.e. scarce in certain nutrients required for anabolism) microbes will again dominate because biomolecular turnover can be relatively free from constraint given the limited fuel available. We suggest that an important and overlooked way to achieve power is to reuse energy, and that all organisms maximise E intensity by converting chemical potential energy (i.e. in fuel) into circuits of electromagnetic energy comprising electric charge, photons, and excited electrons. Because space and time merge subatomically, these electromagnetic circuits represent a concentration in spacetime of energy that (1) is concurrently kinetic and static, hence available for immediate use yet also conserved with minimal dissipation, and (2) ultimately promotes catalysis, which we assert is the primary biological tactic for maximising E intensity and thus fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoni V Milewski
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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Tiwary A, Sinnett D, Peachey C, Chalabi Z, Vardoulakis S, Fletcher T, Leonardi G, Grundy C, Azapagic A, Hutchings TR. An integrated tool to assess the role of new planting in PM10 capture and the human health benefits: a case study in London. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2009; 157:2645-2653. [PMID: 19501436 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2009.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2009] [Revised: 04/21/2009] [Accepted: 05/03/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The role of vegetation in mitigating the effects of PM(10) pollution has been highlighted as one potential benefit of urban greenspace. An integrated modelling approach is presented which utilises air dispersion (ADMS-Urban) and particulate interception (UFORE) to predict the PM(10) concentrations both before and after greenspace establishment, using a 10 x 10 km area of East London Green Grid (ELGG) as a case study. The corresponding health benefits, in terms of premature mortality and respiratory hospital admissions, as a result of the reduced exposure of the local population are also modelled. PM(10) capture from the scenario comprising 75% grassland, 20% sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and 5% Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) was estimated to be 90.41 t yr(-1), equating to 0.009 t ha(-1) yr(-1) over the whole study area. The human health modelling estimated that 2 deaths and 2 hospital admissions would be averted per year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Tiwary
- School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences, Environment and Sustainable Technology Division, The University of Manchester, PO Box 88, Sackville St, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK
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Atmospheric Transfer and Deposition Mechanisms of 210Pb Aerosols onto Forest Soils. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11267-009-9221-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Bealey WJ, McDonald AG, Nemitz E, Donovan R, Dragosits U, Duffy TR, Fowler D. Estimating the reduction of urban PM10 concentrations by trees within an environmental information system for planners. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2007; 85:44-58. [PMID: 16996198 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2005] [Revised: 05/24/2006] [Accepted: 07/13/2006] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Trees have been widely quoted as effective scavengers of both gaseous and particulate pollutants from the atmosphere. Recent work on the deposition of urban aerosols onto woodland allows the effect of tree planting strategies on airborne aerosol concentrations to be quantified and considered within the planning process. By identifying the potential planting locations in the local authority area, and applying them within a dispersion and deposition model, the potential magnitude of reduction in the ambient concentration of PM(10), achievable through urban tree planting, has been quantified for two UK cities. As part of the Environmental Information Systems for Planners (EISP), flow diagrams, based on planning decisions, have incorporated output from the model to make decisions on land use planning ranging from development plans and strategic planning, to development control. In this way, for any new developments that contribute to the local PM(10) level, the mitigation by planting trees can be assessed, and in some cases, reductions can be sufficient to meet air quality objectives for PM(10).
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Affiliation(s)
- W J Bealey
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK.
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Pitcairn C, Fowler D, Leith I, Sheppard L, Tang S, Sutton M, Famulari D. Diagnostic indicators of elevated nitrogen deposition. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2006; 144:941-50. [PMID: 16584821 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2006.01.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2005] [Revised: 01/04/2006] [Accepted: 01/30/2006] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Tissue N content of mosses, which has been shown to be an indicator of enhanced N, was studied at a range of locations dominated either by wet or dry deposited and oxidised and reduced forms of N. Tissue N responded differently to wet and dry deposited N. For a 1 kg ha(-1) y(-1) increase in N deposition, tissue N increased by 0.01% at wet deposition sites but by 0.03% at sites dominated by dry deposited NH3. Tissue N at wet deposition sites responded more to concentrations of NO3- and NH4+ in precipitation (r(2) 0.63) than to total N deposition (r(2) 0.27), concentration explaining 66% of the variation in tissue N, wet deposition 33%. The study clearly concludes that tissue N concentration in mosses provides a good indication of N deposition at sites where deposition is dominated by NH3, and is also valuable in identifying vegetation exposed to large concentrations of NH4+ or NO3-, in wet deposition dominated areas, such as hilltops and wind exposed woodland edges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Pitcairn
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Edinburgh, Atmospheric Sciences, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB, UK.
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Likuku AS, Branford D, Fowler D, Weston KJ. Inventories of fallout 210Pb and 137Cs radionuclides in moorland and woodland soils around Edinburgh urban area (UK). JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2006; 90:37-47. [PMID: 16863673 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2006.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2005] [Revised: 03/06/2006] [Accepted: 06/05/2006] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Inventories of fallout (210)Pb and (137)Cs have been measured in moorland and woodland soils around the Edinburgh urban area, using a high purity germanium detector. The (210)Pb inventories in moorland soils were relatively uniform, with a mean value of 2520+/-270Bqm(-2). The mean (137)Cs inventory in moorland soils varied greatly from 1310 to 2100Bqm(-2), with a mean value of 1580+/-310Bqm(-2). The variability was ascribed mainly to the non-uniform distribution of fallout Chernobyl (137)Cs. The mean (210)Pb and (137)Cs inventories in woodland canopy soils were found to be 3630+/-380Bqm(-2) and 2510+/-510Bqm(-2), respectively. At sites for which both moorland and woodland data were available, the mean inventories provided fairly similar average enhancements of (47+/-7)% and (46+/-18)% of (210)Pb and (137)Cs under woodland canopy soils relative to open grassland soils, respectively. The enhancement factors are broadly in line with other independent findings in literature. Enhancement of both (210)Pb and (137)Cs in woodland soils relative to moorland soils is, in part, due to deposition by impaction during air turbulence, wash-off, gravitational settling and deposition during leaf senescence. Results of this study suggest that these processes affect both (210)Pb and (137)Cs carrier aerosols in a similar way.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Likuku
- School of Physics, University of Edinburgh, James Clerk Maxwell Building, King's Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, UK.
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Skiba U, Pitcairn C, Sheppard L, Kennedy V, Fowler D. The Influence of Atmospheric N Deposition on Nitrous Oxide and Nitric Oxide Fluxes and Soil Ammonium and Nitrate Concentrations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004. [DOI: 10.1007/s11267-004-3011-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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