title: Accumulating pollutants in conifer needles on an Atlantic island - a case study with Pinus canariensis on Tenerife, Canary Islands.
abstract: Concentrations of potential pollutant elements Na, Cl, and S were investigated in needles of Pinus canariensis grown at 55 field plots in Tenerife. Microelement concentrations (including heavy metals) were measured at a subset of 18 plots. Na and Cl concentrations were high at low elevations (up to 8 mg g(-1) Cl and 5.5 mg g(-1) Na). Na/Cl ratio close to standard seawater indicated sea spray influence up to 1200 m a.s.l. Only at few plots, sulphur concentrations indicated possible pollutant impact. Cluster and correlation analyses identified a related group of V, As, Cr, Fe, Mo, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Al, possibly related to traffic exhaust aggregated with soil particles. Mainly north-eastern, lower elevated plots were exposed to those immissions, but metal concentrations were generally low compared to data from other studies. In conclusion, seawater and soil particles explained most of the element distribution pattern in pine needles in Tenerife, but strong indications for some effect of local sources of air pollutants were detected.
authors.affiliation: School of Forest and Ecosystem Science, University of Melbourne, Water Street, Creswick, Victoria 3363, Australia. michael.tausz@uni-graz.at
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tausz
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Trummer
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Goessler
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wonisch
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grill
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naumann
authors.forename: Maria Soledad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Domingo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morales
mesh_terms: D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D002712:Chlorides / Q000032:analysis; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D028223:Pinus / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater; D012964:Sodium / Q000032:analysis; D013030:Spain; D013455:Sulfur / Q000032:analysis; D014197:Trees; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D013455:Sulfur; D012964:Sodium