Intraspecific Differences in Spectral Reflectance Curves as Indicators of Reduced Vitality in High-Arctic Plants
Remote sensing is a suitable candidate for monitoring rapid changes in Polar regions, offering high-resolution spectral, spatial and radiometric data. This paper focuses on the spectral properties of dominant plant species acquired during the first week of August 2015. Twenty-eight plots were selected, which could easily be identified in the field as well as on RapidEye satellite imagery. Spectral measurements of individual species were acquired, and heavy metal contamination stress factors were measured contemporaneously. As a result, a unique spectral library of dominant plant species, heavy metal concentrations and damage ratios were achieved with an indication that species-specific chan…
Application of algae in active biomonitoring of the selected holding reservoirs in swietokrzyskie province
Abstract During the years 2014-2015, biomonitoring studies were carried out at three holding reservoirs located in Swietokrzyskie Province (central Poland): Kielce artificial lake, Chancza reservoir and Sielpia reservoir. In sea water algae Palmaria palmata (Linnaeus) Weber & Mohr, exposed in the analysed waters, the increases of concentrations were determined by the atomic absorption spectrometry method (AAS), of the following: Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb. Conductivity and pH were also determined in the reservoirs waters. The differences between the increases of heavy metal concentrations in the samples of algae found along the coastline were indicated; they result from different distanc…
Sorption of copper(II) ions in the biomass of alga Spirogyra sp.
Abstract Sorption of copper ions by the alga Spirogyra sp. was investigated to determine the influence of experimental conditions and the methods of sample preparation on the process. The experiments were carried out both under the static and the dynamic conditions. Kinetics and equilibrium parameters of the sorption were evaluated. In addition, the influence was studied of the algae preparation methods on the conductivity of demineralized water in which the algae samples were immersed. The static experiments showed that the sorption of Cu2+ ions reached equilibrium in about 30 min, with approximately 90% of the ions adsorbed in the initial 15 min. The sorption capacity determined from the …
Role of calcium carbonate in the process of heavy metal biosorption from solutions: synergy of metal removal mechanisms.
AbstractThe effect of calcium carbonate on the removal efficiency of cations of the selected heavy metals Cu, Zn and Pb from aqueous solutions using various biosorbents (BS) was investigated under laboratory static conditions. The main mechanism of biosorption of heavy metal cations is ion exchange, whereas the reaction with calcium carbonate results in precipitation of poorly soluble carbonates and hydroxides of the examined heavy metals. Studies conducted under static conditions have shown that the effect of Cu and Zn cations removal from solutions is better when using a mixture of BS and CaCO3 as compared to the effect of process, in which these two components were used separately. Remov…
Determination of Changes in the Quality of Surface Water in the River—Reservoir System
Assessing the changing parameters of water quality at different points in the river–reservoir system can help prevent river pollution and implement remedial policies. It is also crucial in modeling water resources. Multivariate statistical analysis is useful for the analysis of changes in surface water quality. It helps to identify indicators that may be responsible for the eutrophication process of a reservoir. Additionally, the analysis of the water quality profile and the water quality index (WQI) is useful in assessing water pollution. These tools can support and verify the results of a multivariate statistical analysis. In this study, changes in water quality parameters of the Turawa r…
THE USE OF NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS IN THE BIOMONITORING OF TRACE ELEMENT DEPOSITION IN THE OPOLE PROVINCE
Abstract The neutron activation analysis procedure was used to determine the concentration of 42 elements: Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Nb, Mo, I, Ag, Cd, Sb, Ba, Cs, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Hg, Th, and U accumulated in mosses sampled for testing in September and October 2011 in the Opole Province (Southern Poland). Samples of different moss species were collected near the intersections of the grid lines marked on the map of the province. The distance between the points was approximately 20 km. The analysis of the results made it possible to identify the places of increased deposition of element-pollutants and to indicate t…
Determination of the atmospheric precipitation pH value on the basis of the analysis of lichen cationoactive layer constitution
Studies of equilibria and kinetics of the ion exchange process between the surrounding (water solution) and lichens prove that the number of mobile hydrogen ions bonded in lichens depends on the concentration of hydrogen ions in the precipitation with which the lichens are in contact and the type and concentration of other cations contained in the precipitation. The measurement of these values was suggested; as a result, it enabled to determine the pH of precipitation by determination of mobile cations bonded in exposed or naturally grown lichens. The studies were conducted on Hypogymnia physodes lichens.
Mercury concentration in lichen, moss and soil samples collected from the forest areas of Praded and Glacensis Euroregions (Poland and Czech Republic)
The concentration of mercury was determined in samples of the lichen Hypogymnia physodes, the moss Pleurozium schreberi, and the soil humus collected in Polish and Czech Euroregions Praded and Glacensis. The sampling sites were located in Bory Stobrawskie, Bory Niemodlińskie and Kotlina Kłodzka in Poland, and in Jeseniki and Gory Orlickie in the Czech Republic. The mean concentrations of mercury accumulated in the lichen (0.129 mg g(-1)), in the moss (0.094 mg g(-1)) and in soil (0.286 mg g(-1)) were fairly close to the corresponding concentrations in other low-industrialized regions. The highest concentrations of mercury were observed in the lichen and the moss samples from Kotlina Kłodzka…
Determination of Sorption Properties of Heavy Metals in Various Biosorbents
Abstract Various techniques of determination of properties of physicochemical processes of heavy metal sorption in biosorbents were analysed. The methods of preparing and storing samples, conditions of experiment performance, as well as the methods of data interpretation were discussed. Two procedures of study were analysed: (1) in the static system of biosorbent-solution contact and (2) in the system of dynamic flow of solution. Copper cation sorption was studied. The effect of consecutive stages of the study on the quality of final results was shown. A high degree of uncertainty of the sorption capacity assessment was reported, which was dependent on the manner of conducting the study. Th…
Using moss and lichens in biomonitoring of heavy-metal contamination of forest areas in southern and north-eastern Poland.
Abstract In the years 2014–2016 biomonitoring studies were conducted in the forest areas of south and north-eastern Poland: the Karkonosze Mountains, the Beskidy Mountains, the Borecka Forest, the Knyszynska Forest and the Bialowieska Forest. This study used epigeic moss Pleurozium schreberi and epiphytic lichens Hypogymnia physodes. Samples were collected in spring, summer and autumn. Approximately 500 samples of moss and lichens were collected for the study. In the samples, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb concentrations were determined. Based on the obtained results, the studied areas were ranked by extent of heavy-metal deposition: Beskidy > Karkonosze Mountains > forests of north-eastern …
Sorption properties of algae Spirogyra sp. and their use for determination of heavy metal ions concentrations in surface water.
Abstract Kinetics of heavy-metal ions sorption by alga Spirogyra sp. was evaluated experimentally in the laboratory, using both the static and the dynamic approach. The metal ions – Mn2+, Cu2+, Zn2+ and Cd2+ – were sorbed from aqueous solutions of their salts. The static experiments showed that the sorption equilibria were attained in 30 min, with 90-95% of metal ions sorbed in first 10 min of each process. The sorption equilibria were approximated with the Langmuir isotherm model. The algae sorbed each heavy metal ions proportionally to the amount of this metal ions in solution. The experiments confirmed that after 30 min of exposition to contaminated water, the concentration of heavy meta…
Assessment of the influence of counter ions on biosorption of copper cations in brewer's spent grain - Waste product generated during beer brewing process
Abstract The influence that conditioning leached ground barley grain (known as “brewer's spent grain” (BSG)) has on the effectiveness of copper cation sorption was analysed. Saturation with counter ions of functional groups present on the grain surface was carried out in hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, sodium and calcium chloride solutions. For comparison, BSG was also conditioned in demineralised water. Spent barley grain is a by-product of the brewing industry which can be used as a biosorbent in the removal of heavy metals from waste water. Emphasis is placed on the effect of competitive sorption of copper and hydrogen cations and the negative influence of a solution alkalinisation …
Teaching Green Analytical Chemistry on the Example of Bioindication and Biomonitoring (B & B) Technologies
Teaching of Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) requires a not inconsiderable willingness on the part of the lecturer to familiarize himself with a relatively new field in analytical chemistry. Although there is much that can be derived from Green and Sustainable Chemistry, the GAC’s forward-looking perspectives in particular are independent approaches that must not be neglected. In the first chapter of this article, approaches are pursued “how (teachers) learn to learn,” ultimately based on a consensus on ethics, which allows dealing with people, society and the environment to become an interdisciplinary unit. The end of all this is a smart method of conflict management which provides solutio…
Assessment of Gamma Dose Rate at Mine Waste Dump
Abstract Exploitation of coal deposits in Upper Silesia is associated with production of large quantities of waste deposited at dumps. The tested samples from five dumps showed different radioactivity from each other. Radioactivity measurements made it possible to analyze the degree of risk with the factors specified by UNSCEAR such as radium equivalent activity Raeq, internal Ein and external Eex occupancy factor. There is a raised level of radiation in dumps as compared with outside dump areas. In the study area, however, there is no risk associated with elevated levels of radiation in relation to standards established by the Council of Ministers of the ionizing radiation dose limits.
Feasibility of hyperspectral vegetation indices for the detection of chlorophyll concentration in three high Arctic plants: Salix polaris, Bistorta vivipara, and Dryas octopetala
Remote sensing, which is based on a reflected electromagnetic spectrum, offers a wide range of research methods. It allows for the identification of plant properties, e.g., chlorophyll, but a registered signal not only comes from green parts but also from dry shoots, soil, and other objects located next to the plants. It is, thus, important to identify the most applicable remote-acquired indices for chlorophyll detection in polar regions, which play a primary role in global monitoring systems but consist of areas with high and low accessibility. This study focuses on an analysis of in situ-acquired hyperspectral properties, which was verified by simultaneously measuring the chlorophyll conc…
The application of electroanalytical methods to determine affinity series of metal cations for functional biosorbent groups
Abstract The affinity of the selected heavy metal cations: Mn 2 + , Ni 2 + , Cu 2 + , Zn 2 + , Cd 2 + , Pb 2 + and Na + , K + , Mg 2 + , Ca 2 + was determined for the functional groups located on the surface of leached barley middlings, so called Brewer's spent grain (BSG) – a by-product of the brewing industry. A simple method for determining the affinity series, with the use of a conductivity meter and a pH-meter, was described. It was demonstrated that the affinity of cations for the functional groups located on the surface of the BSG increases in the series: Na + + 2 + 2 + ≈ Zn 2 + 2 + ≈ Ca 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + , and the series was determined by comparing concentrations expressed in gram e…
The Impact of Candle Burning During All Saints’ Day Ceremonies on Ambient Alkyl-Substituted Benzene Concentrations
Research findings concerning benzene, toluene, ethylobenzene, meta-, para- and ortho-xylene as well as styrene (BTEXS) emission at public cemeteries during All Saints’ Day are presented here. Tests were carried out at town-located cemeteries in Opole and Grodków (southern Poland) and, as a benchmark, at the centres of those same towns. The purpose of the study was to estimate BTEXS emissions caused by the candle burning and, equally important to examine, whether emissions generated by the tested sources were similar to the BTEXS emissions generated by road transport. During the festive period, significant increases in benzene concentrations, by 200 % and 144 %, were noted at the cemeteries …
Use of Algae in Active Biomonitoring of Surface Waters
Abstract Biomonitoring studies have been carried out in three retention reservoirs located in the Opole Province (southern Poland): Turawa reservoir, Nysa reservoir and Otmuchow reservoir. The increases of concentrations of Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in fresh water algae Spirogyra sp. and sea water Palmaria palmata (Linnaeus) Weber & Mohr, exposed in the analysed waters, were determined by the atomic absorption spectrometry method (AAS). Also the waters pH, conductivity and Mn and Fe concentrations were determined. The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the analysed waters were lower than the method limit of determination. The analyses were carried out during the period from June to …
Heavy metal sorption in biosorbents – Using spent grain from the brewing industry
The sorption properties of brewer's spent grain (BSG) were assessed in terms of its usefulness in removing heavy metals from solutions. The specific objectives of the investigation involved studying sorption equilibrium and kinetics, assessing the influence of other cations on sorption efficiency, and examining the possibility of bed regeneration. The studies were carried out in a static system, with a constant ratio of solution volume to biosorbent mass, and using a flow through system. The affinity of metal cations to BSG functional groups was established and increased in the series: Mn2þzZn2þ < Ni2þ < Cd2þ < Cu2þ < Pb2þ. The BSG's sorption capacities (mmol g�1), determined using the Lang…
Sorption of heavy metals in the biomass of alga Palmaria palmata
Sorption of heavy metals by the sea alga Palmaria palmata was investigated in laboratory conditions. The sorption process of the analytes was carried out with constant flow of the solutions through the algae samples. The Langmuir isotherm model was used to describe equilibria. The experiments confirmed that 50 min of exposure of algae with little heavy metal contamination in contaminated waters results in the increase of concentration of these analytes, proportional to their concentration in the tested waters. On the basis of the Langmuir isotherm direction factor, a = (c(a,max) × K)−1, affinity of heavy metals and algae increases in the following sequence: Mn2+ &lt; Zn2+ ≈ Cd2+ &lt…
Application of conductometric and pH metric measurements in determining the kinetics and equilibrium parameters of the heterophasic ion exchange: Metal cation-proton
The application possibilities of conductometric and pH metric measurements in the description of the process of heterophasic ion exchange have been analysed, between metal cation (Zn, Cu) - proton, which occurs according to the formula, M+ + HR ⇄ H+ + MR, where R is an anion permanently bound in the sorbent. Kinetic models of the pseudo-first and pseudo-second order reactions, as well as the Langmuir isotherm model which describes the process equilibrium, have been used in mathematical presentations. It was confirmed that conductometric and pH metric measurements are equally effective in the assessment of such processes' parameters, in comparison with the expensive method of determining met…
Mechanisms for Translocation of Heavy Metals from Soil to Epigeal Mosses
The mechanisms for translocation of heavy metals from soil to epigeal mosses were investigated. The first mechanism was demonstrated for (137)Cs and involved the uplifting of the pollutant-containing dust from the soil, followed by the local secondary deposition on surfaces of epigeal mosses and epiphytic lichens. The second mechanism involved the diffusion of metal cations from the soil through water wetting the moss into the gametophyte. The mechanism was demonstrated by measuring the electric conductance of wetted gametophytes with single ends immersed in solutions of Cu and Na salts. In addition, the concentrations of Cu and Cd were compared in moss samples exposed to the natural soil a…
Ion equilibrium in lichen surrounding.
In laboratory conditions, the ionic equilibriums between a solution and a cation-active layer of epiphytic lichens Hypogymnia physodes immersed in the solution were examined. It was found that such equilibriums, due to exchange of mobile cations: H, Na, K, Ca, and Mg, are established in natural conditions between a lichen and atmospheric water.
Influence of hydrogen cations on kinetics and equilibria of heavy-metal sorption by algae—sorption of copper cations by the alga Palmaria palmata (Linnaeus) Weber & Mohr (Rhodophyta)
The influence of hydrogen cations on kinetics and equilibria of sorption of copper cations by the marine alga Palmaria palmata (Linnaeus) Weber & Mohr was studied under static conditions. The competitive effect of the H+ cations is described, which influenced the uncertainty of evaluation of the alga sorption capacity. Under static conditions, the variation of the Cu2+/H+ concentration ratio during sorption was found nonmonotonic. The Langmuir isotherm model was used to determine the sorption capacity of the alga, namely 12.4 mg g−1 of dry algae mass. A similar value was determined from the kinetic parameters of the ionic exchange which is considered a pseudo-second-order chemical reaction.…
Modelling of Mercury Emissions from Large Solid Fuel Combustion and Biomonitoring in CZ-PL Border Region
Abstract Tightening of norms for air protection leads to a development of new and significantly more effective techniques for removing particulate matter, SOx and NOx from flue gas which originates from large solid fuel combustion. Recently, it has been found that combinations of these environmental technologies can also lead to the reduction of mercury emissions from coal power plants. Now the greatest attention is paid especially to the coal power plant in Opatovice nad Labem, close to Hradec Kralove. Its system for flue gas dedusting was replaced by a modern type of cloth fabric filter with the highest particle separation efficiency which belongs to the category of BAT. Using this techno…
Use of Lichen and Moss in Assessment of Forest Contamination with Heavy Metals in Praded and Glacensis Euroregions (Poland and Czech Republic)
The concentrations of selected metals-Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb-were determined in the samples of Hypogymnia physodes lichen and Pleurozium schreberi moss collected in Polish and Czech Euroregions Praded and Glacensis. More specifically, the samples were collected in Bory Stobrawskie, Bory Niemodlińskie, and Kotlina Kłodzka (Poland) and in Jeseniki (Czech Republic). The concentration of metals in the samples was measured using the atomic absorption spectrometry (flame AAS technique and electrothermal atomization AAS technique). The results were used to calculate the comparison factor (CF) that quantifies the difference in concentration of a given bioavailable analyte × accumulated in liche…
Translocation of Cations During Sorption of Copper in the System Solution - Algae (Spirogyra sp.)/Translokacja Kationów Podczas Procesu Sorpcji Miedzi W Układzie Roztwór - Glony (Spirogyra Sp.)
Zbadano kinetykę procesu sorpcji kationów miedzi w glonach Spirogyra sp. oraz towarzyszące mu procesy sorpcji kationów wodorowych i procesy uwalniania do roztworu kationów związanych w glonach: Na+, Mg2+, K+ i Ca2+. Stwierdzono, że w układzie statycznym, przy stałym stosunku masy glonów do objętości roztworu, procesy te zachodzą równocześnie, przy czym należy przypuszczać, że ilość uwalnianych soli ma wpływ na parametry heterofazowej równowagi wymiany jonowej. W warunkach prowadzenia eksperymentu ilość uwolnionych kationów była blisko 10-krotnie większa niż ilość kationów sorbowanych. Porównano parametry równowagi wyznaczone z modelu reakcji pseudo-drugiego rzędu z parametrami uzyskanymi po…
Quantitative relations between different concentrations of micro- and macroelements in mosses and lichens: the region of Opole (Poland) as an environmental interface in between Eastern and Western Europe
We examined the concentration of selected metals: Al, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, as well as activity of 137Cs in samples of moss and lichen, collected in the area surrounding Bory Stobrawskie, a wood complex situated in southern Poland. The concentration of metals was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The activity of 137Cs was determined by gamma spectrometry. We used these results, as well as results published in the literature, to determine the correlation between the concentration of analytes in lichens and in mosses. The analysis of the function ln(cx,moss) = lna + bln(cx,lichen) indicated with high degree of certainty that the concentration levels of analytes accumulated in…
Algae utilization in assessment of the large Turawa Lake (Poland) pollution with heavy metals.
This investigation was undertaken to determine the applicability of algae for the assessment of contamination level of water reservoirs with heavy metals. The alga Spirogyra sp. collected in the littoral zone of the Large Turawa Lake (artificial lake in Southern Poland) was used for the study. The concentrations of heavy metals accumulated in the alga inhabiting a flow-through water basin of the Large Turawa Lake were found to correlate with sources of these metals, such as benthic sediments and contaminated watercourses. The highest concentrations of metals were found in alga samples collected at the outlet of the lake: c (Mn) = 12330 mg/kg dry mass, c (Fe) = 15059 mg/kg d.m., c (Cu) = 47.…
Sorption of Cadmium and Zinc in Selected Species of Epigeic Mosses
The sorption abilities of seven moss species growing on the area of Bory Stobrawskie forest (southern Poland) were tested in laboratory. Sorption was carried out in solutions of Zn and Cd chlorides. It has been shown that the sorption properties depend on the moss species and increases in the series as follows: Polytrichum commune < Leucobryum glaucum < Eurhynchium praelongum < Thuidium tamtariscifolium ≤ Dicranum scoparium ≤ Pleurozium schreberi < Sphagnum sp. With help of microscope images, it was also demonstrated that one of the factors affecting the sorption properties of mosses was the level of their surface development. The determined sorption capacity of Zn varies according to speci…
The Origin of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides Accumulated in the Soil and Biota Samples Collected in Svalbard, Near Longyearbyen
Abstract Heavy metals and radioactive compounds are potentially hazardous substances for plants, animals and humans in the Arctic. A good knowledge of the spatial variation of these substances in soil and primary producers, and their sources, is therefore essential. In the samples of lichen Thamnolia vermicularis, Salix polaris and Cassiope tetragona, and the soil samples collected in 2014 in Svalbard near Longyearbyen, the concentrations of the following heavy metals were determined: Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg, as well as the activity concentrations of the following: K-40, Cs-137, Pb-210, Pb-212, Bi-212, Bi-214, Pb-214, Ac-228, Th-231 and U-235 in the soil samples. The differences in th…
The use of mosses in biomonitoring of selected areas in Poland and Spitsbergen in the years from 1975 to 2014
We have compared historical changes in concentrations of the heavy metals Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb accumulated in samples from the Polish woodlands of Beskidy and Karkonosze (S, SE Poland) and the north-east regions of the country, versus the relatively little polluted areas of Spitsbergen of the Svalbard Archipelago. We have combined the results from literature with new results from 2014. The regions of Beskidy and Karkonosze were the most exposed to heavy metals deposition. However, from 1975 to 2014 there was a considerable decrease of concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb at all Polish sites, clearly signifying improvement of environmental quality. For example, the average Cd concentrati…
Using Macroelement Content to Characterize Surficial Water Quality of Artificial Reservoirs
Abstract The quality of surface waters in the territory of Poland, despite the implemented remedial measures, is mostly classified as bad. This article presents the results of research on the composition of water macroelements in 24 artificial reservoirs located in Opole province (southern Poland), searching for the reasons behind their pollution. Concentrations of the anions F−, Cl−, Br−, NO2−, NO3−, PO43− and SO42− and cations Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ were taken into account. An analysis of seasonal changes was carried out and, on the example of a dam reservoir (Turawa Big Reservoir), a multi-point analysis of the distribution of ion concentrations in water at the reservoir surface w…
The impact of various cations on the sorption of manganese in the thallus of freshwater algae spirogyra sp. and sea algae palmaria palmata
Abstract Due to their occurrence in very different conditions and high resistance to physical and chemical factors, algae are pioneers colonising new environments and their sorption properties are used in biomonitoring and water remediation. The efficiency of the process of heavy metal sorption in algae used for in situ tests depends on abiotic factors, such as the chemical composition of water. Freshwater algae Spirogyra sp. were used in tests. Algae were exposed in the laboratory in manganese chloride solutions with various contents of other cations, including heavy metals and macronutrients. It has been shown that some heavy metals may desorb manganese bound to the surface of algae as a …