3rd Int. FHB Symposium
Szeged, Hungary, 2008
COMPARISON OF HEAVY METAL DEPOSITION BY LARGE
SCALE BIOMONITORING IN EUROPE AND TROPICAL
AFRICA (Cadmium accumulation and the physiology of the moss T.
Ruralis under heavy metal treatment)
1
2
Gyula RABNECZ – Bea PAPP – György VEGVARY
1
2
3
3
Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Szent István University, Páter K. u. 1, H-2100 Gödöllő,
Hungary, e-mail: rabnecz.gyula@mkk.szie.hu
Department of Botany, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest
Department of Fruit Science, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest
Abstract: One objective of this research is to compare large scale air deposited heavy metals monitoring data
from tropical Africa, early 20th century Hungary from herbarium materials, late 20th century’s data Hungary
and the mean of the European survey. The other hand we seek the answers of the high heavy metal tolerance
of these bioindicator plants in physiology level.
Keywords: heavy metal, cadmium accumulation
Introduction
Heavy metals are more harmful to the environment due to the fact that they are not
degradable but instead they accumulate in the food chain which is a potential risk for all
living organisms. The main advantages in bioindication research the ability to
accumulate heavy metals with high efficiency, low selectivity and high tolerance of
these plants to different enviromental conditions (Pócs et al. 1987; Meenks et al. 1991;
Csintalan et al. 2005)..
Materials and methods
The investigated areas, periods, sampling sites, species and digesting method for
elemental analysis. Part … The species used were taken from The Hungarian National
Museum were the ectohydric; Tortula ruralis (Hedw.), Brachytechium rutarbulum
(Hedw.) and Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.). The species from East-Africa and
Madagascar (81 samples) were the following; Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw.), Hypnum
aduncoides (Brid.), Bryum preusii (Broth). alysis were carrried as described in Tuba et
al. 1994. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn, Al, Fe and Pb in the digested
samples were determined by ICP-AES (ICAP 61, Thermo Jarrel Ash, Franklin, MA,
USA).
Results and discussion
Comparisons of the element contents between different sampling sites and periods
By calculating the ratios of the mean of element concentrations between different plots
we can get the differences as a percentage. This method renders it possible to estabilish
the absolute differences between sampling sites and periods. The results are shown in
Fig. 1. The highest difference in element content between the samples of late 20 th
century Hungary and tropical samples were found in the case of Pb (more than 10 times
higher value). The high toxical Cd shows 120% differences between late 20 th century
Hungary and the means of European deposition. The highest differences (50%) were
observed in the case of Cr content between the samples of late 20th century and early
20th century Hungary. Early 20th century samples from Hungary contained higher Cu
1
DOI: 10.1556/CRC.36.2008.Suppl.B.1
Vol. 36, 2008, Suppl. C
Cereal Research Communications
(70%) and Zn (41%) concentration than the mean of Europe. The percentage differences
in Ni (140%) and V (200%) were the highest between late 20th century and early 20th
century Hungarian samples. In the case of Fe were measured 5 times higher differences
between the data from the tropical samples and the European mean. The Al
concentration in tropical samples was 2,92 times higher than the data from the early 20th
century Hungarian materials (data not shown).
Table 1. Cd content (mg*g-1 dry weight) inside the moss by sequental elution technique. A = Intercellular
soluble, B = Extracellular exchangeable, C = Intracellular(plus some acid-soluble), D = Particles, E = Total.
SD mean the standard error, n = 7. Mosses treated with Cd three times
Control
Mean
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
10-4M Cd
Mean
SD.
0.0400
0.0151
0.00
0.00
0.01659
0.0105
0.00
0.00
0.0601
0.0180
SD.
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
10-3M Cd
Mean
SD.
0.2466
0.0246
0.4286
0.1030
0.5067
0.1104
0.0080
0.0016
1.1899
0.1097
A
B
C
D
E
Cd content and localisation inside the moss
The Cd from inside the T. ruralis was sequental eluted and the fractions were measured.
The method was used make possible the measurement of Cd concentration inside the
plant. It appears that the cell wall (Extracellular exchangeable = B) makes barrier in
higher Cd concentration only. 35% of the metal remained with the cell walls. It is 50%
lower than other studies. It is less sufficient to protect the cell from metal uptake.
Higher Cd cultured plants inner metal content did not differ significance from external
sites. See Table 1.
1098
120
100
60
%
%
80
1097
320
240
160
80
0
-80
-160
40
20
0
1
2
Ni,
3
4
V,
5
Pb,
-20
6
1
2
Cd,
Fe
3
4
Cr,
5
Cu,
6
Zn
Figure 1. Ratios of the element concentrations in percentage between of different origins (areas and periods).
1: Hungary (1995–1997) minus material from early period of 20th century Hungary; 2: Hungary (1995–1997)
minus tropical samples; 3: tropical samples minus early period of 20th century Hungary; 4: Hungary (1995–
1997) minus mean of Europe; 5: tropical samples minus mean of Europe; 6: early period of 20th century
Hungary minus mean of Europe
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3rd Int. FHB Symposium
Szeged, Hungary, 2008
Conclusions
Element content from different sites and periods: It is easy to follow the increase in
element deposition as a consequence of industrialization as we compared data from
tropical sites and early 20th century Hungary to other sites and periods. The unpolluted
tropical areas contained less lead and zinc than the early 20th century samples from
Hungary, but the chromium, aluminium and iron concentrations were higher in these
samples. High zinc and lead values could be the consequance of the fact that the tropical
samples originated from national parks and these areas have never been polluted by
industry whereas at the beginning of the 20th century Hungary was relatively
industrialized. Higher chromic, aluminium and iron content in the samples from tropical
Africa can be explained by the origin of the plant materials. Some pollution occured by
windblow dust from local soil or natural trace element cycling processes. Unfortunately,
Hungary is the most polluted area among the four territories wich were investigated.
This is particularly true in the case of lead (measured differences were 10 times higher
than other areas). The findings of previous surveys made it clear that leaded petrol is the
most probable source of Pb (Tuba and Csintalan 1993b; Smith 1976). Higher values of
Ni, Cr, V and Cd concentrations probably are the consequences of burning fossil fuel,
the use of oil refineries and chemical factories in Hungary. Cu pollution is mainly
mostly caused by traffic loading, the use of petrol in industry and plant-protecting
agents in agriculture.
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