Detection of sulphur dioxide in the air using Scotch pine needles

Abstract

Air quality is especially important in surface layers, for it is this layer that provides the living components of environment with the needed oxygen and carbon dioxide. Various air polluting gases penetrate cells affecting and contaminating them. Chloroplast shell of some pine species, for instance, doubles under the impact of carbon dioxide which is followed by tillacoids swelling and reduction.

Literature provides opinions of some authors, who consider Scotch pine needle to be a biological indicator of sulphur dioxide. Others object to it basing on the observations of physiological development.

The property of a Scotch pine as that of biological indicator manifests in SO₂ absorption by its needles. The analysis of total content of SO₂ in the needles shows an increase of SO₂ concentration.

Sulphur in the needles is found in the form of organically bound sulphur, aminoacids, hormones as well as in the form of sulphates.

Basing on our previous analysis we have generalized the data on the correlation concentrations of sulphur dioxide in the air and general concentrations of sulphur in the needles. We have supplemented the observations with the analyses of organically bound sulphur and concentrations of nonorganic sulphur. According to research data, needles contain a characteristic and rather stable quantity of organically bound sulphur.

So we may state that the SO ^sup2−_inf4 concentration and the amount of SO₂ absorbed from the air are interdependent.

Some authors state that SO ^sup2−_inf4 content in the soil doesn't affect sulphur content in pine needles. That is why we studied the affect of SO ^sup2−_inf4 content in the soil on sulphur content in Scotch pine needles.

We could prove this statement by means of various kinds of analyses only partially. The ion transport is affected by the presence of other ions, pH and a lot of other factors.

What may be said for sure is that different qualities of soils gave only minor and insignificant deviations.

Hence our assumption about the SO₂ contamination from air, proved by its effect on the soils, turns to suit approximate measurements.