Heavy metals in birch leaves around a nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk, northwestern Russia

doi:10.1016/0269-7491(95)00027-O

Environmental Pollution

Volume 90, Issue 3, 1995, Pages 291-299

https://doi.org/10.1016/0269-7491(95)00027-O Get rights and content

Abstract

Concentrations of metals in birch leaves were measured around the Severonikel smelter at Monchegorsk, Kola Peninsula, northwestern Russia, between 1991 and 1994. Concentrations of Ni, Cu and Fe near the smelter were 6–12 times higher than the recent regional background concentrations, while concentrations of Mn and Zn were 5–10 and 1.5–2 times lower, respectively. The regional background concentrations of Ni and Cu have increased 3–5 times during the last 20 years. Foliage concentrations of micronutrients (Zn and Mn) showed less annual variation than Ni and Cu. Contamination changed more sharply along the northeastern gradient than along the southern one. Subalpine birch forests were significantly less affected by Ni and Cu than lowland forests, but the lower concentration of Mn indicated a greater impact of SO₂ in mountainous regions. Although birch accumulated relatively less pollutants than conifers, birch resistance to pollution makes it a possible indicator in environmental studies since it survives even within the wastelands where conifers have vanished.

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Citation Excerpt :
The natural regeneration of conifers is common, and the field layer vegetation is dense. The foliar nickel ranges from 15 to 60 μg g−1 (Kozlov et al., 1995, 2009). The severely damaged pine (11N) and spruce (13S) forests (Fig. 1d, e) have very sparse stands, with more than 50% of the top-canopy trees killed by pollution.
Environmental pollution is one of the major drivers of the present-day decline in global biodiversity. However, the links between the effects of industrial pollution on insect communities and the underlying species-specific responses remain poorly understood. We explored the spatial pattern in insect communities by analysing 581 samples of moths and butterflies (containing 25,628 individuals of 345 species) collected along a strong pollution gradient in subarctic Russia, and we recorded temporal changes in these communities during the pollution decline that occurred from 1992 to 2006. In the 1990s, the diversity of the Lepidoptera community was positively correlated with the distance from the copper-nickel smelter at Monchegorsk. The overall abundance of Lepidoptera did not change along the pollution gradient, although the abundance of many species decreased with increasing pollution. The responses of each individual species to pollution were associated with its life history traits. The abundances of monophagous species that fed inside live plant tissues and hibernated as imagoes or pupae were not affected by pollution, whereas the abundances of oligophagous and polyphagous species that fed externally on plants and hibernated as larvae generally declined near the smelter. Substantial decreases in aerial emissions from the smelter between 1992 and 2006 resulted in an increase in the diversity of moths and butterflies in severely polluted habitats, whereas their overall abundance did not change. This recovery of the Lepidoptera community occurred due to the reappearance of rare species that had been previously extirpated by pollution and was observed despite the lack of any signs of recovery of the vegetation in the heavily polluted sites. We conclude that the recovery trajectories of insect communities following emission control can be predicted from studies of their changes along spatial pollution gradients by using space-for-time substitution.
Determination of the transport routes of and the areas potentially affected by SO<inf>2</inf> emanating from Khatoonabad Copper Smelter (KCS), Kerman province, Iran using HYSPLIT
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Citation Excerpt :
These heavy metals are not biodegradable and have a lot of adverse effects on human health (e.g., causing growth retardation in children, kidney disease, and cancer) (Saeedi et al., 2012). Since the significant impact of the copper smelters is explicitly understood numerous studies have been done in this context (Daggupaty et al., 2006; Gundermann and Hutchinson, 1995; Hansen et al., 2017; Kozlov et al., 1995; Kozlov, 2005; Mahura et al., 2012; Toutoubalina and Rees, 1999; Wong et al., 2006; Zverev, 2009). Copper smelters have a well-known negative influence on air quality of urban and rural area in the far distances and their aerial pollutants can affect a significant radius up to 200 km (Daggupaty et al., 2006; Gundermann and Hutchinson, 1995; Hansen et al., 2017; Kozlov et al., 1995; Kozlov, 2005; Steinnes et al., 1997; Toutoubalina and Rees, 1999; Wong et al., 2006; Zverev, 2009).
Forward trajectories were calculated from 1 January 2005 to 30 December 2016 using HYSPLIT to determine seasonal variation of potential transport pathways of SO₂ emanating from KCS and identify the most affected areas around it. Then, the air parcels of each forward trajectory were divided into three height levels: 0–100 m above the ground level (agl.), 100–1000 m agl. 1000–5000 m agl. Finally, Kernel density analysis was conducted through a GIS tool to plot forward air parcels density maps. These show that the potential transport routes vary seasonally as well as the potential distances. Transport distance is approximately two times higher in winter than in summer, and it is equal for spring and autumn. The forward air parcels trajectory calculations have shown that there are two main corridors for transporting SO₂ emanating from KCS towards to the northeast and south direction of this copper smelter. SO₂ mainly transport through both corridors in spring and autumn and affect Rafsanjan and Sirjan cities and Bahram-e Goor Protected Area (PA). In summer, air parcels convey SO₂ mainly in south direction and influence Bahram-e Goor PA and Darab city. The northeastern corridor is highly active in winter, and within this route, Rafsanjan City and Chah Koume PA are potentially affected. Shahr-e Babak is placed near the source and is highly affected in all seasons except winter. The wide spatial extent of SO₂ transport besides KCS’ long-term production of SO₂ imply the significant negative impact of this copper smelter on human health and the environment.
Evaluation of leaf features in forest trees: Methods, techniques, obtainable information and limits
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Tree leaves are interfaces between the whole organism and the environment. Leaves display a series of attributes that are linked to specific functions (functional leaf traits—FLT) and/or show responses to biotic and abiotic stress factors (stress response traits, SRT), which can be subdivided into: (a) morphological traits; (b) chemical traits; (c) physiological traits; (d) symptoms. The analysis of FLT is a useful tool for tree species and provenance phenotyping, due to the adaptation of trees to environmental stress. Additionally, FLT can be used as response factor in long term and large spatial scales surveys of forest conditions. Despite these potential benefits of leaf traits in the assessment of ecosystem health and functioning, leaf sampling in forests is time-consuming and costly, especially in forests with a complex vertical and horizontal structure and in remote forest areas. Once a foliar sample has been collected, many different analyses can be carried out; however, analyses should be technically simple and able to be performed within one day following the leaf collection (i.e., on fresh samples), or after air-drying the leaves themselves (analysis of dried specimens). This paper reports the results of leaf sampling and foliar analyses carried out in previous research projects and revises the current state-of-the-art. The leaf traits that are easily obtainable from leaf sampling are listed, together with the operational procedures necessary for their measurement, described in a standardized protocol. Their ecological and functional relevance is discussed in relation to their potential information (as indicators of climatic stress, drought, air and soil pollution, tree light-use and competition, plant nutritional status, health and general plant stress conditions). Finally, this review provides suggestions for the elaboration and reporting of data, and proposes some guidelines to improve the effectiveness of foliar analysis in the assessment of forest ecosystem health, properties and functioning.
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Historic emissions from two zinc smelters have injured the forest on Blue Mountain near Palmerton, Pennsylvania, USA. Seedlings of soybeans and five tree species were grown in a greenhouse in a series of mixtures of smelter-contaminated and reference soils and then phytotoxic thresholds were calculated. As little as 10% Palmerton soil mixed with reference soil killed or greatly stunted seedlings of most species. Zinc was the principal cause of the phytotoxicity to the tree seedlings, although Mn and Cd may also have been phytotoxic in the most contaminated soil mixtures. Calcium deficiency seemed to play a role in the observed phytotoxicity. Exposed soybeans showed symptoms of Mn toxicity. A test of the effect of liming on remediation of the Zn and Mn phytotoxicity caused a striking decrease in Sr-nitrate extractable metals in soils and demonstrated that liming was critical to remediation and restoration.
Heavy Metals in Birch Leaves during Reduction of Emissions from a Large Copper Smelter
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Antioxidant activities in relation to the transport of heavy metals from the soil to different parts of Betula pendula (Roth.)
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Environmental Pollution

Abstract

References (44)

Influence of acidity and other soil properties on metal concentrations in forest plants and animals

Sci. Total Environ.

Variation in chemical composition of birch foliage under air pollution stress and their consequences for Eriocrania miners

Environ. Pollut.

Investigation of Mn-containing centres of photosysteme 2 in needles of Scots pine subjected to toxic impact of industrial emissions

Trace Elements in the Terrestrial Environment

The application of biogeochemical method in location of nickel ores on the Kola Peninsula

Geokhimia

Air pollution impact on forest ecosystems of Kola peninsula: History of investigations, progress and shortcomings

Betula pendula Roth. (B. verrucosa Ehrh.) and B. pubescens Ehrh

J. Ecol.

Nickel and copper accumulation by edible forest berries in surroundings of “Severonikel” smelter complex

Analysis of ambient air at weather station ‘Chunozero’ in Lapland biosphere reserve

Environmental Chemistry of the Elements

Influence of sulphur and heavy metals pollution on forest soils

Landscape Indication of Environmental Contamination

Mechanisms of Birch Adaptation to Northern Environment

Pollutant inputs from the atmosphere and accumulations in soils and vegetation near a nickel-copper smelter at Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Can. J. Bot.

Taxonomy of infraspecific variation in Betula pubescens Ehrh. with particular reference to the Scottish Highlands

Heavy metal pollution in the Sudbury mining and smelting region of Canada. I. Soil and vegetation contamination by nickel, copper and other metals

Environ. Conserv.

The Fennoscandian birch and its evolution in the marginal forest zone

Collection Nordicana

Metal contaminants in vegetation and litter of coniferous stands

Cited by (90)

Recovery of moth and butterfly (Lepidoptera) communities in a polluted region following emission decline

Determination of the transport routes of and the areas potentially affected by SO<inf>2</inf> emanating from Khatoonabad Copper Smelter (KCS), Kerman province, Iran using HYSPLIT

Evaluation of leaf features in forest trees: Methods, techniques, obtainable information and limits

Phytotoxicity of zinc and manganese to seedlings grown in soil contaminated by zinc smelting

Heavy Metals in Birch Leaves during Reduction of Emissions from a Large Copper Smelter

Antioxidant activities in relation to the transport of heavy metals from the soil to different parts of Betula pendula (Roth.)