Articles
MONITORING OF AIR POLLUTANTS IN FLORENCE (ITALY), WITH HERBACEOUS AND WOODY BIOINDICATORS
Article number
496_53
Pages
429 – 438
Language
Abstract
An integrated biomonitoring activity was carried out during 1996 in Florence.
Ten fully equipped stands of bioindicators were set up in the city; observations were performed between May and October 1996. Ozone was monitored with the sensitive cultivar Nicotiana tabacum Bel W3, by means of the usual Leaf Injury Index (LII). The unsensitive cultivar Nicotiana tabacum Bel B was used as a control.
Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni), chlorine and sulphur were detected with the bioaccumulator Lolium multiflorum L., harvesting and analyzing micro-cultivations of this species once a month.
Further, some potted plants of Pinus halepensis Mill. were placed in five of these stands in order to test their sensitivity to ozone and verify their possible use as bioindicators.
Results show that the LII of the sensitive tobacco cultivar increases as one moves from the centre towards the peripheral and suburban areas of Florence; this finding correlates perfectly with the air ozone concentrations measured using traditional automatic methods.
Heavy metals, on the contrary, show an opposite trend, with concentrations decreasing as one moves from the centre to the suburbs.
No trends were detected for chlorine and sulphur.
As far as Pinus halepensis is concerned the characteristic chlorotic mottles, described in the literature as ozone-like symptoms, were observed on the needles.
These symptoms were detected in areas with high ozone concentration, but not in the control stand.
Despite its sensitivity to ozone, the use of Pinus halepensis as a biomonitor appears doubtful because no proportionality was observed between injury and ozone concentration.
Ten fully equipped stands of bioindicators were set up in the city; observations were performed between May and October 1996. Ozone was monitored with the sensitive cultivar Nicotiana tabacum Bel W3, by means of the usual Leaf Injury Index (LII). The unsensitive cultivar Nicotiana tabacum Bel B was used as a control.
Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni), chlorine and sulphur were detected with the bioaccumulator Lolium multiflorum L., harvesting and analyzing micro-cultivations of this species once a month.
Further, some potted plants of Pinus halepensis Mill. were placed in five of these stands in order to test their sensitivity to ozone and verify their possible use as bioindicators.
Results show that the LII of the sensitive tobacco cultivar increases as one moves from the centre towards the peripheral and suburban areas of Florence; this finding correlates perfectly with the air ozone concentrations measured using traditional automatic methods.
Heavy metals, on the contrary, show an opposite trend, with concentrations decreasing as one moves from the centre to the suburbs.
No trends were detected for chlorine and sulphur.
As far as Pinus halepensis is concerned the characteristic chlorotic mottles, described in the literature as ozone-like symptoms, were observed on the needles.
These symptoms were detected in areas with high ozone concentration, but not in the control stand.
Despite its sensitivity to ozone, the use of Pinus halepensis as a biomonitor appears doubtful because no proportionality was observed between injury and ozone concentration.
Publication
Authors
F. Bussotti, P. Grossoni, C. Soda, M. Ferretti, G. Lorenzini
Keywords
ozone, heavy metals, Nicotiana tabacum, Lolium multiflorum, Pinus halepensis
Online Articles (57)