TITLE:
Trace Metal Concentrations in Pine Needles at Varying Elevation in Proximity to Roadways in an Urban Environment
AUTHORS:
Graham Brown, Isabella Luu, Gwen O’Sullivan
KEYWORDS:
Trace Metal Deposition, Biomonitoring, Non-Point Sources, Atmospheric Deposition
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.8 No.6,
June
28,
2017
ABSTRACT: Conifer needles bioaccumulate atmospheric pollutants, including trace metals, and may be used to monitor variations in atmospheric concentration. Needles were analyzed to determine whether a correlation exists between elevations and trace metal concentrations in proximity to roadways and other non-point sources. Composite samples of white spruce (Picea glauca) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea) needles were collected along hillsides in eastern and western Calgary, respectively. A combined total of 11 sites was sampled along two transects of increasing elevation. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of trace metal concentrations was completed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and synthesized using regression analysis. The concentrations of cobalt, nickel, and calcium in the samples were found to exhibit a significant (P