title: Atmospheric pollution in an urban environment by tree bark biomonitoring--part I: trace element analysis.
abstract: Tree bark has been shown to be a useful biomonitor of past air quality because it accumulates atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in its outermost structure. Trace element concentrations of tree bark of more than 73 trees allow to elucidate the impact of past atmospheric pollution on the urban environment of the cities of Strasbourg and Kehl in the Rhine Valley. Compared to the upper continental crust (UCC) tree barks are strongly enriched in Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb. To assess the degree of pollution of the different sites in the cities, a geoaccumulation index I(geo) was applied. Global pollution by V, Ni, Cr, Sb, Sn and Pb was observed in barks sampled close to traffic axes. Cr, Mo, Cd pollution principally occurred in the industrial area. A total geoaccumulation index I(GEO-tot) was defined; it is based on the total of the investigated elements and allows to evaluate the global pollution of the studied environment by assembling the I(geo) indices on a pollution map.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire D'Hydrologie et de Géochimie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, EOST, UMR 7517 CNRS, 1 rue Blessig, 67084 Strasbourg cedex, France. fgueguen@unistra.fr
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guéguen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stille
authors.forename: Majdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahd Geagea
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boutin
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D052638:Particulate Matter; D014131:Trace Elements