Quantitative Analyses of Chemical Elements in Phragmites australis as Bioindication of Anthropization in Urban Lakes

Rodica D. Catana, Aurelia Podosu, Larisa I. Florescu (), Raluca A. Mihai, Mădălin Enache, Roxana Cojoc and Mirela Moldoveanu
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Rodica D. Catana: Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Aurelia Podosu: Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Larisa I. Florescu: Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Raluca A. Mihai: CICTE, Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas—ESPE, Av. General Rumiñahui s/n y, Sangolquí 171103, Ecuador
Mădălin Enache: Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Roxana Cojoc: Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Mirela Moldoveanu: Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, 060031 Bucharest, Romania

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Urban areas face numerous provocations, such as air, water, and soil contamination. Additionally, urban lakes have numerous beneficial services that contribute to urban sustainability. In urban aquatic ecosystems, X-ray fluorescence can provide complex answers regarding the presence of elements associated with environmental risk. The study aimed to screen the elements with different potentials (critical raw materials—CRMs; toxic; potentially toxic) from Phragmites australis leaves along the Colentina urban river. The samples from the peri-urban and urban river courses highlighted the presence of elements with different potentials for ecosystems and human health. The investigated stations were influenced by regional anthropogenic pressures, where P. australis highlighted the absorption of the dominant elements found in the environment. From the total of 56 elements present in the samples, some have structural roles (K, Si, Ca, and Cl), some are from the CRM category, and some are airborne heavy metals and rare metals. Furthermore, among CRMs, cesium, lanthanum, magnesium, phosphorus, vanadium, sulfur, holmium, and titanium were recorded with higher values. Although the values of the elements in the anthropogenic source were in low concentrations, spatial differences were highlighted. The stations in agricultural areas were different from the peri-urban and urban ones.

Keywords: anthropogenic impact; common reeds; XRF; CRM; toxic element; urban (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:553-:d:1018258

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