Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone s.n.c., 86090 Pesche, Italy.
Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante IPSP, CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
Environ Pollut. 2018 Feb;233:278-289. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.10.062. Epub 2017 Nov 5.
Monitoring atmospheric pollution in industrial areas near urban center is essential to infer past levels of contamination and to evaluate the impact for environmental health and safety. The main aim of this study was to understand if the chemical composition of tree-ring wood can be used for monitoring spatial-temporal variability of pollutants in Terni, Central Italy, one of the most polluted towns in Italy. Tree cores were taken from 32 downy oaks (Quercus pubescens) located at different distances from several pollutant sources, including a large steel factory. Trace element (Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Tl, W, U, V, and Zn) index in tree-ring wood was determined using high-resolution laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). We hypothesized that the presence of contaminants detected in tree-rings reflected industrial activities over time. The accumulation of contaminants in tree-rings was affected by anthropogenic activities in the period 1958-2009, though signals varied in intensity with the distance of trees from the industrial plant. A stronger limitation of tree growth was observed in the proximity of the industrial plant in comparison with other pollutant sources. Levels of Cr, Ni, Mo, V, U and W increased in tree-ring profiles of trees close to the steel factory, especially during the 80's and 90's, in correspondence to a peak of pollution in this period, as recorded by air quality monitoring stations. Uranium contents in our tree-rings were difficult to explain, while the higher contents of Cu, Hg, Pb, and Tl could be related to the contaminants released from an incinerator located close to the industrial plant. The accumulation of contaminants in tree-rings reflected the historical variation of environmental pollution in the considered urban context.
监测城市中心附近工业区的大气污染对于推断过去的污染水平以及评估其对环境健康和安全的影响至关重要。本研究的主要目的是了解树木年轮的化学组成是否可用于监测意大利中部特尔尼（意大利污染最严重的城镇之一）污染物的时空变化。从 32 株柔毛栎（Quercus pubescens）中采集树芯，这些树位于距离多个污染源（包括一个大型钢铁厂）不同距离的位置。采用高分辨率激光烧蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱（LA-ICP-MS）法测定树木年轮木中的微量元素（Cr、Co、Cu、Pb、Hg、Mo、Ni、Tl、W、U、V 和 Zn）指数。我们假设在树木年轮中检测到的污染物的存在反映了随时间推移的工业活动。污染物在树木年轮中的积累受到 1958-2009 年间人为活动的影响，但信号的强度随树木与工业厂的距离而变化。与其他污染源相比，在工业厂附近观察到树木生长受到更强的限制。在靠近钢铁厂的树木年轮中，Cr、Ni、Mo、V、U 和 W 的水平升高，尤其是在 80 年代和 90 年代，与这一时期空气质量监测站记录的污染高峰相对应。我们树木年轮中的铀含量难以解释，而较高的 Cu、Hg、Pb 和 Tl 含量可能与位于工业厂附近的焚烧炉释放的污染物有关。污染物在树木年轮中的积累反映了所考虑城市背景下环境污染物的历史变化。
