Accumulation Characteristics of Metals and Metalloids in Plants Collected from Ny-Ålesund, Arctic
Open Access
- 20 October 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Atmosphere
- Vol. 11 (10), 1129
- https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11101129
Abstract
Toxic elements can be transported to polar regions by long-range atmospheric transport from mid and low latitudes, leading to enrichment of elements in the polar environment, especially in the Arctic. The plants can be ideal bioindicators of element contamination in environments, but information on the element enrichment and sources of plants remains limited in polar regions. Here, concentrations of 15 metals and metalloids (Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, As, Cd, Sb, Hg, Se, Fe, Zn, Mn, Al, and Ti) in six species of plants, Deschampsia caespitosa (Tufted Hair Grass), Puccinellia phryganodes (Creeping Alkaligrass), Saxifraga aizoides (Yellow Mountain Saxifrage), Dicranum angustum (Dicranum Moss), Salix Polaris (Polar Willow), and Cerastium arcticum (Arctic Mouse-Ear Chickweed), collected from Ny-Ålesund, the Arctic, were determined, and enrichment and sources of elements were assessed. Results show that element concentrations vary in different plant species, and element levels in D. angustum and C. arcticum are generally higher. In spatial terms, elevated element concentrations were found near residential areas, while low element levels were present at the sites far from settlement points. Enrichment assessment shows that Cd, Hg, and Zn are the most enriched elements, with enrichment factors above 30, suggesting sources other than soil dust control their concentrations. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the extracted three components can explain 82% of the total variance in element concentrations. The elements Ni, Cr, As, Sb, Fe, Al, Ti, and to a lesser extent Co are highly loaded in PC1, possibly associated with continental crust particles. PC2 is closely correlated with Cd, Se, Mn, Cu, and Zn, while Hg and Pb have high loadings on PC3. The elements highly loaded on PC2 and PC3 are likely associated with pollutants from atmospheric transportation. Together with enrichment assessment, the investigated plants have a great potential for monitoring atmospheric Cd, Hg, and Zn pollution in Ny-Ålesund, and D. angustum and D. caespitosa are the more sensitive species. The results would be of significance for monitoring element contamination in the pristine Arctic environments using the bioindicator plants.Funding Information
- National Science Foundation of China (41876225)
This publication has 55 references indexed in Scilit:
- Metals and metalloids in precipitation collected during CHINARE campaign from Shanghai, China, to Zhongshan Station, Antarctica: Spatial variability and source identificationGlobal Biogeochemical Cycles, 2015
- Effect of recent climate change on Arctic Pb pollution: A comparative study of historical records in lake and peat sedimentsEnvironmental Pollution, 2012
- Temporal trends of pollution Pb and other metals in east-central Baffin Island inferred from lake sediment geochemistryScience of The Total Environment, 2009
- A 15,800‐year record of atmospheric lead deposition on the Devon Island Ice Cap, Nunavut, Canada: Natural and anthropogenic enrichments, isotopic composition, and predominant sourcesGlobal Biogeochemical Cycles, 2007
- Predominance of industrial Pb in recent snow (1994–2004) and ice (1842–1996) from Devon Island, Arctic CanadaGeophysical Research Letters, 2005
- Modern and Historic Atmospheric Mercury Fluxes in Northern Alaska: Global Sources and Arctic DepletionEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2004
- Heavy metal contamination in the Taimyr Peninsula, Siberian ArcticScience of The Total Environment, 2002
- The record of anthropogenic pollution in snow and ice in Svalbard, NorwayAtmospheric Environment, 2001
- Pb isotope ratios of lake sediments in West Greenland: inferences on pollution sourcesAtmospheric Environment, 2001
- Arctic air pollution: An overview of current knowledgeAtmospheric Environment (1967), 1986