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Dendrochemical investigation on hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs) in poplars by an integrated study of micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography

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An Erratum to this article was published on 28 March 2016

Abstract

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A combined Micro-FTIRS and GC analysis revealed that poplars grown under natural field conditions can accumulate HCHs in their wood when growing in contaminated areas.

Abstract

Micro-Fourier Transform Infrared (micro-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to evaluate possible contaminations from hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs) in poplar tree-rings growing near a river polluted by HCHs (Sacco River, Latium, Italy). Conventional gas chromatographic analyses (GC–ECD and GC–MS) carried out on the same samples confirmed the micro-FTIR data and showed a high level of contamination by HCHs (mainly β-HCH) in wood core samples from poplars growing near the Sacco River. Even if the micro-FTIR cannot be considered as an alternative technique to the gas chromatographic analysis, it would permit to carry out a faster and cheaper screening of tree-rings. The proposed dendrochemical approach may have applications for rapid detection and delineation of HCHs pollution in environmental monitoring programs as well as in forensic assessments (phytoforensics). Since fast growing trees like poplars are used in bioremediation programs, the accumulation of HCHs in the wood of trees from contaminated areas opens new technical questions on the safety of their use for round-wood, biomass or bioenergy production.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the “Istituto Nazionale per l’Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro” (INAIL, Presidential Decision n. 165/2010, Project ID 7/2010). The authors wish to thank Dr. Pietro Carai and Dr. Maria Teresa Topi (Arpa Lazio, Viterbo, Italy) for their precious contribution for the GC–MS analysis of wood samples. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Giorgia Agresti (Laboratory of Diagnostics for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, University of Tuscia) for her support in the micro-FTIR analysis of the samples, Dr. Marco Zuccaro of the Produttori Latte Casilina Soc. Coop. (Valmontone, Italy) for the precious support offered during the on field operations and Dr. Gianluca Olivieri for his helpful support in language editing.

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    1. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis, 01100, Viterbo, Italy

      Roberta Bernini, Isabella Carastro, Rachele Venanzi, Alfredo Di Filippo, Gianluca Piovesan, Bruno Ronchi & Pier Paolo Danieli

    2. Dipartimento di Scienze dei Beni Culturali (DISBEC), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Largo dell’Università, 01100, Viterbo, Italy

      Claudia Pelosi

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    1. Roberta Bernini
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    Correspondence to Pier Paolo Danieli.

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    Communicated by E. Liang.

    R. Bernini and C. Pelosi have contributed equally to this work.

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    Bernini, R., Pelosi, C., Carastro, I. et al. Dendrochemical investigation on hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs) in poplars by an integrated study of micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography. Trees 30, 1455–1463 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-015-1343-8

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