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Pinus roxburghii plant needles as a three-season biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring along roadside

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Published/Copyright: August 26, 2015
Radiochimica Acta
From the journal Radiochimica Acta Volume 103 Issue 10

Abstract

The present study deals with the determination of 36 elements in Pinus roxburghii plant needles to assess their potential as biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring. The elemental quantification was made by employing Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) techniques. The needles of Pinus roxburghii were collected in spring, summer and winter seasons from various sites in Islamabad. The method validation was performed by analyzing two certified reference materials i.e., Citrus leaves – NIST-SRM-1572 and IAEA-Soil-7. Pollution level was assessed by using three indicators: enrichment factor, pollution load index and average toxic element concentration. The results indicated that the needles of Pinus roxburghii plant had potential to monitor the extent of air pollution in the vicinity of high traffic areas.

Keywords: Pinus roxburghii; biomonitor; air pollution; pollution load index; instrumental neutron activation analysis; atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Acknowledgement

Authors thank Mr. Lal Habib for technical assistance and acknowledge the Reactor Operation Group at PINSTECH for the neutron irradiation of the samples.

Received: 2015-4-7
Accepted: 2015-6-30
Published Online: 2015-8-26
Published in Print: 2015-10-28

©2015 Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston

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  2. The NEA Thermochemical Database Project:30 years of accomplishments
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  8. Pinus roxburghii plant needles as a three-season biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring along roadside
https://doi.org/10.1515/ract-2015-2421
Keywords for this article
Pinus roxburghii; biomonitor; air pollution; pollution load index; instrumental neutron activation analysis; atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. The NEA Thermochemical Database Project:30 years of accomplishments
  3. Rapid selective separation of americium/curium from simulated nuclear forensic matrices using triazine ligands
  4. Effect of equilibration time on Pu desorption from goethite
  5. Surface complexation modeling of neptunium(V) sorption to lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH)
  6. Radiolytical oxidation of gaseous iodine by beta radiation
  7. Levels of 137Cs and 40K in marine superficial sediments near the Angra Nuclear Power Plant (Angra dos Reis, SE Brazil)
  8. Pinus roxburghii plant needles as a three-season biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring along roadside
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