title: Element contents in leaves of four plant species (birch, mountain ash, fern and spruce) along anthropogenic and geogenic concentration gradients.
abstract: Forty samples each of leaves of birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.), European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia (L.)) and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) as well as spruce needles (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) were collected along a 120 km south-north transect running through Norway's largest city, Oslo. Concentrations of 25 chemical elements (Ag, Au, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sr, Ti, and Zn) as well as loss on ignition for the 4 sample materials are reported. The decline of input of sea spray with distance from the coast, geology, pH and anthropogenic contamination all played a role for the observed element concentrations in the leaves. Although growing under exactly the same natural conditions each plant species displayed quite unique uptake characteristics. Plant-species dependency and individual differences in the reaction of the plant leaves to different element sources make the investigated species of very limited value as bioindicators of anthropogenic activities. Anthropogenic contamination influences plant-leaf element content within a limited distance ( approximately 20 km) from the source.
authors: Geological Survey of Norway NGU, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Clemens.Reimann@ngu.no <Clemens.Reimann@ngu.no>
authors: Clemens
authors: C
authors: Reimann
authors: Arnold
authors: A
authors: Arnoldussen
authors: Rognvald
authors: R
authors: Boyd
authors: Tor Erik
authors: TE
authors: Finne
authors: Friedrich
authors: F
authors: Koller
authors: Øystein
authors: Ø
authors: Nordgulen
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Englmaier
mesh_terms: D029662:Betula; D001895:Boron / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D029624:Ferns; D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D009664:Norway; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D028222:Picea; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater; D031994:Sorbus; D013455:Sulfur / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D010758:Phosphorus; D013455:Sulfur; D001895:Boron