U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR, USA.
Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
Environ Monit Assess. 2024 Nov 7;196(12):1177. doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-13354-y.
Solid waste incineration (SWI) can release numerous air pollutants although the geographic reach of emissions is not routinely monitored. While many studies use moss and lichens for biomonitoring trace elements, including around SWIs, few investigate the complex, multi-element footprint expected from SWI emissions. This study develops using native moss as a screening tool for SWI while also informing community concerns about an aging incinerator in rural Oregon, USA. Trained community volunteers helped collect 36 composite samples of epiphytic moss (Orthotrichum s.l.) along a 32-km transect from the SWI. We used ICP-MS to measure 40 elements in moss, including 14 rare earth elements (REEs) previously unexplored for SWI. We compared the elemental signatures of samples with an emissions profile for SWI and modeled relationships between element concentrations and distance from the facility using nonparametric regression. The chemical signatures in moss pointed to SWI as a source, potentially through both stack and fugitive dust emissions. The strongest models described farther-dispersing elements, including mercury and cadmium (xR = 0.65 and 0.62, respectively), and suggested most deposition occurs within 5 to 10 km of the facility. Elements often associated with soil and dust, like arsenic and chromium, exhibited localized peaks within 0.2 km of the incinerator (xR = 0.14-0.3). Three novel elements-cesium and REEs europium and gadolinium-also showed promise as atmospheric tracers for SWI. Gadolinium, a contrast reagent for MRIs, could reflect medical waste incineration by the facility. We include additional analysis and discussion to help stakeholders use results effectively.
固体废物焚烧（SWI）会释放大量空气污染物，尽管排放物的地理范围通常不会受到监测。虽然许多研究使用苔藓和地衣来监测痕量元素，包括在 SWI 周围，但很少有研究调查来自 SWI 排放的复杂、多元素足迹。本研究开发了使用本地苔藓作为 SWI 的筛选工具，同时也告知了美国俄勒冈州农村地区一个老化焚烧炉的社区关注。经过培训的社区志愿者帮助收集了 36 个沿 32 公里长的 SWI 横断面采集的附生苔藓（Orthotrichum s.l.）的复合样本。我们使用 ICP-MS 测量了苔藓中的 40 种元素，包括以前未在 SWI 中探索过的 14 种稀土元素（REEs）。我们比较了样本的元素特征与 SWI 的排放情况，并使用非参数回归模型来模拟元素浓度与距设施距离之间的关系。苔藓中的化学特征表明 SWI 是一个潜在的污染源，可能通过烟囱和逸散尘排放。最强的模型描述了更远距离分散的元素，包括汞和镉（xR 分别为 0.65 和 0.62），并表明大部分沉积发生在距设施 5 至 10 公里范围内。通常与土壤和灰尘相关的元素，如砷和铬，在距离焚烧炉 0.2 公里内呈现局部峰值（xR 为 0.14-0.3）。三种新型元素-铯和 REE 铕和钆-也显示出作为 SWI 大气示踪剂的潜力。钆是 MRI 的对比试剂，可反映设施对医疗废物的焚烧。我们包括了额外的分析和讨论，以帮助利益相关者有效地使用结果。
