Pine needles as indicator of air pollution in Vienna — determination of selected trace elements
Abstract
Due to anthropological activities during the last decades, heavy metal pollution has steadily become a serious environmental problem as a result of their toxicity. Heavy metals are accumulated in crops or plants and can thus affect human physiological functions through the food chain. Certain metals have been found to be correlated with air pollution, such as Cd, Pb, Pt and Zn. Since pine needles are good biomonitors for air pollutants, the aim of this project is the analysis of needles from pine trees at various places with different traffic situations in Vienna during one vegetation period. Thus dependencies on metals from exhaust gases in time and space can be investigated. The study will be focused on the quantitative determination of Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Sr, and Zn. Not only the total amounts of metals in the needles, but also those on the surfaces will be analysed. Furthermore the soils of each sampling location will be characterised.
pine needles air pollution Vienna trace elements