Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Betula nana (Betulaceae, Magnoliópsida) under Exposure to a Thermal Power Plant

  • Published:
Biology Bulletin Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract—The content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in Betula nаnа L. and soil organogenic horizons was studied at a control site and sites affected by a thermal power station (TPS) at distances of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 km from the source of pollution. The PAH distribution over the vegetative organs of the dwarf birch was irregular. Different organs of the dwarf birch had similar qualitative composition of PAHs. No significant changes were detected in the PAH content in dwarf birch organs and on the surface of these organs at different distances from the TPS. The PAH content in the organs of plants affected by the TPS was 2–3 times higher than the background value, and the highest excess was found in leaves. The surface PAH concentration on the bark and roots increased threefold under contamination. No excess was revealed in the leaves and branches. The excess over the background value in the soil at contaminated sites was 3–3.5 times with the maximal accumulation at a distance of 1 km. The PAH content in the soil was three times higher than that in the dwarf birch at the control site and 5–6 times that at the contaminated sites. A strong correlation exists between the PAH concentrations in the soil and in B. nana. In the leaves and branches of B. nаnа, the proportion of surface accumulation in the total PAH pool was found to decrease at contaminated sites as compared with the control site. The opposite trend was observed for the bark and roots. Cluster analysis showed a clear separation between the surface and total PAH content in all plant organs under study. Factor analysis of the total PAH content in the organs of the dwarf birch allowed us to determine three main factors affecting the PAH distribution, with the light structures, toxic components, and the other PAHs were allocated in separate groups. Dwarf birch organs can be used as indicators for the contamination level in tundra communities. We suggest using the PAH content in leaves in order to analyze short-term changes in the PAH content and in the bark to assess the long-term impact.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Bashkin, V.N., Barsukov, P.A., and Arabsky, A.K., Specific reaction of biota to environmental pollution in tundra ecosystems, in Biogeochemical Technologies for Managing Pollution in Polar Ecosystems, Environmental Pollution Ser., 2017, vol. 26, pp. 73–85.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  2. Gorshkov, A.G., Mikhailova, T.A., Berezhnaya, N.S., and Vereshchagin, A.L., Accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in needles of Scots pine in Cisbaikalia, Lesovedenie, 2008, no. 2, pp. 21–26.

  3. Hamid, N., Syed, J.H., Junaid, M., Zhang, G., and Malik, R.N., Elucidating the urban levels, sources and health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Pakistan: implications for changing energy demand, Sci. Tot. Environ., 2017, vols. 619–620, pp. 165–175.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kargar, N., Matin, G., Matin, A.A., and Buyukisik, H.B., Biomonitoring, status and source risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using honeybees, pine tree leaves, and propolis, Chemosphere, 2017, vol. 186, pp. 140–150.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Li, W., Chen, B., and Ding, X., Environment and reproductive health in china: challenges and opportunities, Environ. Health Perspect., 2012, vol. 120, no. 5, pp. A184–A185.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Li, H., Liu, G., and Cao, Y., Content and distribution of trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fly ash from a coal-fired CHP plant, Aerosol Air Quality Res., 2014, vol. 14, pp. 1179–1188.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Liu, S., Liu, Q., and Ostbye, T., Levels and risk factors for urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in children living in Chongqing, China, Sci. Tot. Environ., 2017, vol. 598, pp. 553–561.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Luttmer, C., Ficko, S., Reimer, K., and Zeeb, B., Deciduous vegetation (Betula glandulosa) as a biomonitor of airborne PCB contamination from a local source in the Arctic, Sci. Tot. Environ., 2013, vol. 445, pp. 314–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Ophof, A.A., Oldeboer, K.W., and Kumpula, J., Intake and chemical composition of winter and spring forage plants consumed by semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Northern Finland, Animal Feed Sci. Tech., 2013, vol. 185, nos. 3–4, pp. 190–195.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ribeiro, J., Silva, T.F., Filho, J., and Flores, D., Fly ash from coal combustion: an environmental source of organic compounds, Appl. Geochem., 2014, vol. 44, pp. 103–110.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rodin, L.E., Remezov, N.P., and Bazilevich, N.I., Metodicheskie ukazaniya k izucheniyu dinamiki i biologicheskogo krugovorota v fitocenozakh (Methodological Guidelines for the Study of Dynamics and Biological Turnover in Phytocenoses). Leningrad: Nauka, 1968.

  12. Sahu, S.K., Bhangare, R.C., Ajmal, P.Y., Sharma, S., Pandit, G.G., and Puranik, V.D., Characterization and quantification of persistent organic pollutants in fly ash from coal fueled thermal power stations in India, Microchem. J., 2009, vol. 92, no. 1, pp. 92–96.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sushkova, S.N., Minkina, T.M., Mandzhieva, S.S., Tyurina, I.G., Vasil’eva, G.K., and Kizilkaya, R., Monitoring of benzo(a)pyrene content in soils affected by the long-term technogenic contamination, Euras. Soil Sci., 2017, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 95–105.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Tentyukov, M.P., Changes in the information content of the indicative characteristics of tundra shrubs under the conditions of aerotechnogenic pollution, Contemp. Probl. Ecol., 2008, no. 2, pp. 217–224.

  15. Vasilevich, R.S., Beznosikov, V.A., Lodygin, E.D., and Kondratenok, B.M., Complexation of mercury(II) ions with humic acids in tundra soils, Euras. Soil Sci., 2014, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 162–172.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Verma, S.K., Masto, R.E., Gautam, S., Choudhury, D.P., Ram, L.C., Maiti, S.K., and Maity, S., Investigations on PAHs and trace elements in coal and its combustion residues from a power plant, Fuel, 2015, vol. 162, pp. 138–147.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Yakovleva, E.V. and Beznosikov, V.A., Assessment of indices of tundra phytocoenosis pollution with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Povolzh. Ekol. Zh., 2016, no. 3, pp. 352–366.

  18. Yakovleva, E.V., Beznosikov, V.A., Kondratenok, B.M., and Khomichenko, A.A., Genotoxic effects in Tradescantia plants (clone 02) induced by benzo[a]pyrene, Contemp. Probl. Ecol., 2011, no. 6, pp. 805–812.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Yakovleva, E.V., Gabov, D.N., Beznosikov, V.A., Kondratenok, B.M., and Dubrovskiy, Y.A., Accumulation of PAHs in tundra plants and soils under the influence of coal mining, Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, 2017, vol. 37, nos. 2–3, pp. 203–218.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Yakovleva, E.V., Gabov, D.N., Beznosikov, V.A., and Kondratenok, B.M., Accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils and mosses of southern tundra at different distances from the thermal power plant, Euras. Soil Sci., 2018, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 268–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Zubareva, O.N., Estimation of emission discharge range in the impact zone of Norilsk Nikel industrial complex based on analysis of plants, in Materialy Vseros. konf. s mezhdunar. uchastiyem “Evolyutsiya biosfery i tekhnogenez”, VI Vseros. simp. s mezhdunar. uchastiyem “Mineralogiya i geokhimiya landshafta gorno-rudnykh territoriy” i XIII Vseros. chteniy pamyati akademika A.E. Fersmana “Ratsionalnoye prirodopolzovaniye”, “Sovremennoye mineraloobrazovaniye” (Proc. All-Russia Conf. with International Participation “Evolution of the Biosphere and Technogenesis,” VI All-Russia Symp. with International Participation “Mineralogy and Landscape Geochemistry of Ore-mining Territories,” and XIII Readings in Memory of Academician A.E. Fersman “Rational Natural Resource Use” and “Recent Minerogenesis”), Chita: Buryat. Nauch. Tsentr Sib. Otd. Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2016, pp. 202–204.

  22. Zubareva, O.N. and Danilova, I.V., The use of phytoindication for environmental monitoring in the impact zone of Norilsk Nikel industrial complex, in Eklogicheskaya, promyshlennaya i energeticgheskaya bezopasnost’-2017: Mat.-ly Nauchno-prakt. konf. s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem (Ecological, Industrial, and Energy Security-2017: Proc. Sci.-Pract. Conf. with International Participation), Sevastopol: Sevastopol. Gos. Univ., 2017, pp. 51–52.

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Government of the Komi Republic (project no. 16-44-110581 r_a) and by the taxpayerfunded research project no. AAAA-A17-117122290011-5.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 167982, Syktyvkar, Komi Republic, Russia

    E. V. Yakovleva & D. N. Gabov

Authors
  1. E. V. Yakovleva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. N. Gabov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. V. Yakovleva.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Translated by E. Kuznetsova

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yakovleva, E.V., Gabov, D.N. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Betula nana (Betulaceae, Magnoliópsida) under Exposure to a Thermal Power Plant. Biol Bull Russ Acad Sci 46, 1415–1425 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359019100340

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359019100340

Search

Navigation