Assessment of seasonal variations in particulate matter accumulation and elemental composition in urban tree species

Barbara Baesso Moura; Francesco Zammarchi; Jacopo Manzini; Hoshika Yasutomo; Lorenzo Brilli; Carolina Vagnoli; Beniamino Gioli; Alessandro Zaldei; Tommaso Giordano; Federico Martinelli; Elena Paoletti; Francesco Ferrini

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2024.118782

Assessment of seasonal variations in particulate matter accumulation and elemental composition in urban tree species

Environ Res. 2024 Apr 2;252(Pt 1):118782. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118782. Online ahead of print.

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy. Electronic address: barbara.baessomoura@cnr.it.
² Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Science and Technology (DAGRI), University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine, 18, 50144, Firenze, Italy.
³ Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Science and Technology (DAGRI), University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine, 18, 50144, Firenze, Italy.
⁴ Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy; Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System (ITINERIS), Tito Scalo, 85050, (Potenza), Italy.
⁵ Institute of Bioeconomy (IBE), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. Caproni 8, 50145, Firenze, Italy.
⁶ Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano, 9, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
⁷ NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy; Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Science and Technology (DAGRI), University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine, 18, 50144, Firenze, Italy; Institute of Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP) National Research Council, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.

PMID: 38570123
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118782

Abstract

Outdoor air pollution in urban areas, especially particulate matter (PM), is harmful to human health. Urban trees and shrubs provide crucial ecosystem services such as air pollution mitigation by acting as natural filters. However, urban greenery comprises a particular biodiversity, and different plant species vary in their capacity to accumulate PM. Twenty-two plant species were analyzed and selected according to their leaf traits, the different fractions of PM accumulated on the leaves (large - PM_L, coarse - PM_C, and fine - PM_F) and their chemical composition. The study was conducted in four city zones: urban traffic (UT), urban background (UB), industrial (IND), and rural (RUR), comparing winter (W) and summer (S) seasons. The average PM levels in the air and accumulated on the leaves were higher in W than in S season. During both seasons, the highest PM accumulated on the leaves was recorded at the UT zone. Nine species were selected as the most suitable for accumulating PM_L, seven as the most efficient for accumulating PM_C, and six for accumulating PM_F. The leaf area and leaf roundness were correlated negatively with PM accumulation. The evergreen species L. nobilis was indicated as suitable for dealing with air pollution based on PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 values recorded in the air. Regarding the PM element and metal composition, L. nobilis, Photinia x fraseri, Olea europaea, Quercus ilex and Nerium oleander were selected as species with notable elements and metal accumulation. In summary, the study identified species with higher PM accumulation capacity and assessed the seasonal PM accumulation patterns in different city zones, providing insights into the species interactions with PM and their potential for monitoring and coping with air pollution.

Keywords: Air pollution; Leaf traits; Mitigation; Monitoring; PM deposition; Plant species.