scholarly journals Micro-morphological Analysis of Foliar Uptake and Retention of Airborne Particulate Matter (PM)-bound Toxic Metals: Implications for Their Phytoremediation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Triratnesh Gajbhiye ◽  
Sudhir Kumar Pandey ◽  
Tanzil Gaffar Malik ◽  
Ki-Hyun Kim ◽  
Mohammed Latif Khan
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Toxic Metals ◽  
Leaf Surface ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Airborne Particulate Matter ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Morphological Properties ◽  
Foliar Uptake ◽  
Plant Leaves ◽  
Airborne Particulate

Abstract While airborne particulate matter (PM) pollution is a serious problem for urban environments, it can be reduced through uptake by plant leaves. In this study, we investigated and compared the uptake of PM-bound toxic metals by different plant species. Enrichment factor (EF) and correlation analyses across different sample types indicated anthropogenic origins of these toxic metals with airborne source signatures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses of both leaf surfaces (adaxial and abaxial) suggested that the micro-morphological properties of the leaf surface (e.g., stomata, trichomes, epicuticular wax, and epidermal appendages) control the accumulation of PM and associated metals in plant leaves. Senna siamea leaves showed the most micro-morphological variation as well as the maximum concentration of toxic metals. It was found that foliar uptake of PM-bound toxic metals is affected by leaf surface morphological characteristics. Our results imply that plant speciation strategies can be used to help decrease PM pollution.

scholarly journals Platinum, palladium, and rhodium in airborne particulate matter

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 224-231
Author(s):  
Jasmina Rinkovec
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Airborne Particulate Matter ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Platinum Group Metals ◽  
Airborne Particulate ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Reliable Determination ◽  
Global Nature ◽  
Determination Methods ◽  
The Common

AbstractMeasurable quantities of platinum, palladium, and rhodium, even in remote areas of the planet, evidence the global nature of pollution with these metals, mostly from catalytic converters of modern vehicles (other sources are jewellery production, chemical industry, and anticancer drugs). The amount of the platinum group metals (PGMs) emitted from automobile catalysts varies with the type, age, and condition of the engine and the catalyst, as well as the style of driving. Current literature suggests that the concentrations of these metals have increased considerably over the last twenty years, palladium concentrations in particular, as it has been proved more effective catalyst than platinum. However, whether and to what extent the emitted PGMs are toxic for people is still a controversy. The potential health risk from exposure to these elements is most likely for those living in urban environments with busy roads or along major highways. Because of the importance of PGMs and their trace levels in particulate matter, sensitive methods are required for reliable determination. This review discusses particular steps of analytical procedures for PGM quantification in airborne particulate matter and addresses the common preparation, detection, and determination methods.

scholarly journals The Impact of Bushfire Smoke on Cattle—A Review

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 848
Author(s):  
Benjamin Eid ◽  
David Beggs ◽  
Peter Mansell
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Airborne Particulate Matter ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Airborne Particulate ◽  
Primary Mechanism ◽  
Background Mortality ◽  
Fire Front ◽  
The Impact

In 2019–2020, a particularly bad bushfire season in Australia resulted in cattle being exposed to prolonged periods of smoke haze and reduced air quality. Bushfire smoke contains many harmful pollutants, and impacts on regions far from the fire front, with smoke haze persisting for weeks. Particulate matter (PM) is one of the major components of bushfire smoke known to have a negative impact on human health. However, little has been reported about the potential effects that bushfire smoke has on cattle exposed to smoke haze for extended periods. We explored the current literature to investigate evidence for likely effects on cattle from prolonged exposure to smoke generated from bushfires in Australia. We conducted a search for papers related to the impacts of smoke on cattle. Initial searching returned no relevant articles through either CAB Direct or PubMed databases, whilst Google Scholar provided a small number of results. The search was then expanded to look at two sub-questions: the type of pollution that is found in bushfire smoke, and the reported effects of both humans and cattle being exposed to these types of pollutants. The primary mechanism for damage due to bushfire smoke is due to small airborne particulate matter (PM). Although evidence demonstrates that PM from bushfire smoke has a measurable impact on both human mortality and cardiorespiratory morbidities, there is little evidence regarding the impact of chronic bushfire smoke exposure in cattle. We hypothesize that cattle are not severely affected by chronic exposure to smoke haze, as evidenced by the lack of reports. This may be because cattle do not tend to suffer from the co-morbidities that, in the human population, seem to be made worse by smoke and pollution. Further, small changes to background mortality rates or transient morbidity may also go unreported.

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