Potential use of a roadside fern (Pteris vittata) to biomonitor Pb and other aerial metal deposition
Lead, widely used as antiknock additives in gasoline in many parts of the world, is released from vehicular exhausts and contaminates the roadside environment. The Pb-containing particulates often settle onto roadside vegetation by sedimentation, impaction and interception resulting in high Pb content in the vegetation. The concentrations of Pb in such plants in turn are often used to demonstrate the extent of aerial deposition of Pb along roadsides. Hong Kong is a city with high traffic density of over 200 vehicles per kilometer of road. In these studies it was found that some plants could be utilized as biomonitors of atmospheric Pb and other trace metals in the roadside environment. This paper reports on the Pb and other trace metal levels in the fern Pteris vittata growing along roadside and its possible use as biomonitor species for aerial deposition of metals.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Hong Kong
- OSTI ID:
- 6375877
- Journal Information:
- Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Vol. 35:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
FERNS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
LEAD COMPOUNDS
DEPOSITION
METALS
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
COPPER COMPOUNDS
IRON COMPOUNDS
MANGANESE COMPOUNDS
ROADS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTS
PLANTS
POLLUTION
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
560303* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987)
500200 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)