6533b870fe1ef96bd12cfcc5

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Posidonia oceanica as a Historical Monitor Device of Lead Concentration in Marine Environment

Salvatore MiccichèAntonio BartolottaLuigi TranchinaRosario N. MantegnaMaria Brai

subject

PotamogetonaceaeLead pollutionMineralogyGASOLINEDELILETRACE-METALSMediterranean seaEnvironmental monitoringMediterranean SeaEnvironmental ChemistrySeawaterWater PollutantsINDICATORVehicle EmissionsSEAAlismatalesbiologySPAINSpectrophotometry AtomicWater pollutantsLead (sea ice)SEAGRASSGeneral ChemistryHistory 20th Centurybiology.organism_classificationLEPIDOCHRONOLOGICAL ANALYSISItalyLeadEnvironmental chemistryPosidonia oceanicaMERCURY CONTAMINATIONEnvironmental scienceSeawaterSEDIMENTSEnvironmental Monitoring

description

We show that Posidonia oceanica is able to reliably monitor the variability of environmental lead (Pb). We analyze lead concentration measured in the scales and rhizomes of Posidonia oceanica collected in seven sites along the coasts of the Sicily island and subsequently fractioned them according to a lepidochronological analysis. We measure lead concentration in Posidonia oceanica tissues by using the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry technique. We compare the measured lead concentration with the estimated lead emission in air due to the gasoline sold and used for combustion in car engines in Sicily. By computation of the Pearson cross-correlation coefficient, we show that lead concentration, which is measured in the scales of Posidonia oceanica, is statistically correlated to lead emission in air and reflects the level of lead pollution in the coastal marine environment.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2005-04-02Environmental Science & Technology
https://doi.org/10.1021/es048870u