Can tree-ring chemistry be used to monitor atmospheric nanoparticle contamination over time?

Ballikaya, Paula; Marshall, John D.; Cherubini, Paolo

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118781

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 139 publications

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“…Because future concentrations of Ag-NPs are predicted to increase in all environmental compartments, with special concerns for water and atmosphere (Giese et al, 2018) that would directly affect human health as well as vegetation, more research should be done on the interaction of Ag-NPs with trees, which can act as bio-accumulators of NPs and improve air quality (Ballikaya et al, 2022b). Particular attention should be given to the foliar uptake because leaves are the direct organs that interact with atmospheric emissions of NPs.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such studies reported that NPs were mainly absorbed through stomatal pathways as determined for fluorescent polystyrene particles (43 nm in diameter) in leek and broad bean (Eichert et al, 2008), of liposome-NPs in cherry-tomato plants (Karny et al, 2018), of gold NPs (Au-NPs) in wheat (Avellan et al, 2019) and perilla (Ha et al, 2021). Root and leaf uptake and transport of NPs have also been demonstrated in trees (e.g., Cocozza et al, 2019;Rossi et al, 2019;Ballikaya et al, 2022a), but what happens to the NPs in trees is still under debate (see Ballikaya et al, 2022b). Using 3D chemical tomography, our group could confirm (Ballikaya et al, 2022a) the leaf uptake of Au-NPs sprayed onto the leaves of European beech by identifying single Au-NPs inside the leaf structure and inside a trichome (leaf hair).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Detection of silver nanoparticles inside leaf of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Ballikaya

Mateos

Brunner

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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In a greenhouse experiment, silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were applied on European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) leaves using the droplet application method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses showed that after 24 h silver nanoparticles were mostly present in aggregates or as single particles on the surface of the leaf, surrounding or covering the stomata. Analyses of cross sections of the leaf revealed that some silver nanoparticles were adhering to the cell walls of the mesophyll and palisade cells, most likely after penetration into the leaf through the stomata as particles and not as Ag ions. Our preliminary results showed evidence of foliar uptake of silver nanoparticles in European beech. This opens new insights on the ability of trees to take up solid nanosized particles, eventually contained in raindrops, through their leaves, and potentially transport them to other parts of the tree. This study would be helpful for investigating the role of trees in atmospheric ultrafine particle mitigation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of silver nanoparticles inside leaf of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Ballikaya

Mateos

Brunner

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…2020 ), which could explain lower Au concentrations in the stem of beech after root uptake than after leaf uptake. In contrast, in the phloem, large diameters (from 1.2 up to 7 μm and 0.3 to 0.6 μm in angiosperms and gymnosperms, respectively) of the sieve pores could transport NPs for longer distances through the phloem after leaf uptake ( Ballikaya et al. 2022 ), as confirmed by Au detected in the roots of some leaf-treated trees.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our results are comparable to those reported by Cocozza et al (2019), where the concentration of Ag in the stem was higher in the foliar than in the root treatment, and in poplar more than in oak and pine. The anatomy of the conductive vessels plays an important role in the NP transport, as well as the tree species, because of the species-specific wood anatomical structure in relation to the uptake and transport of NPs (Ballikaya et al 2022). Pits in xylem were found to be larger in roots than in stems in Picea spp.…”

Section: Gold In Plant Organsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First evidence of nanoparticle uptake through leaves and roots in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

et al. 2022

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Trees have been used for phytoremediation and as biomonitors of air pollution. However, the mechanisms in trees mitigating nanoparticle pollution in the environment are still unclear. We investigated whether two important tree species, European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), are able to take up and transport differently charged gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) into their stem by comparing leaf-to-root and root-to-leaf pathways. Au-NPs were taken up by roots and leaves, and a small fraction was transported to the stem in both species. Au-NPs were transported from leaves to roots but not viceversa. Leaf Au uptake was higher in beech than in pine, probably because of the higher stomatal density and wood characteristics of beech. Confocal (3D) analysis confirmed presence of Au-NPs in trichomes and leaf blade, about 20–30 μm below the leaf surface in beech. Most Au-NPs likely penetrated into the stomatal openings through diffusion of Au-NPs as suggested by the 3D XRF scanning analysis. However, trichomes were probably involved in the uptake and internal immobilization of NPs, besides their ability to retain them on the leaf surface. The surface charge of Au-NPs may have played a role in their adhesion and uptake, but not in their transport to different tree compartments. Stomatal conductance did not influence the uptake of Au-NPs. This is the first study that shows nanoparticle uptake and transport in beech and pine, contributing to a better understanding of the interactions of NPs with different tree species.

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“…However, fundamental methodological issues concerning preferential uptake and translocation of elements as well as other physiologically regulated growth processes in woody plants often complicate the interpretation of the proxy-environment relationship in dendrochemistry (Watmough, 1999;Binda et al, 2021;Ballikaya et al, 2022). It is for example, still unclear to what extend sap contents of the vessels and elements bound to the cell walls contribute to the overall chemical profiles of wood samples.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

To extract or not to extract? Influence of chemical extraction treatment of wood samples on element concentrations in tree-rings measured by X-ray fluorescence

Scharnweber

Rocha²,

Arrojo³

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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In micro-densitometry of wood it is standard procedure to extract resin and other soluble compounds before X-ray analysis to eliminate the influence of these extractives on wood-density. Dendrochemical studies using X-ray fluorescence analysis on the other hand are commonly conducted without previous extraction. However, it is well known that translocation processes of elements during heartwood formation in trees or (temporal) differences in sap content of wood samples can influence dendrochemical element profiles. This might bias environmental signals stored in time series of element concentrations in wood proxies. We hypothesize that metals tightly bound to cell walls show a more robust proxy potential for environmental conditions than easily translocated ones. To eliminate the noise of these soluble substances in wood elemental time series, their extraction prior to analysis might be necessary. In our study we tested the effect of different solvents (water, alcohol, and acetone) and different extraction times on elemental time series of three tree species with differing wood structure (Pinus sylvestris; Quercus robur and Populus tremula). Micro-XRF analysis was conducted on nine replicates per species using an ITRAX-Multiscanner. A set of elements commonly detected in wood (S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, and Ni) was analysed at high resolution before and after several extraction runs. Besides lowering their levels, extraction did not significantly change the temporal trends for most elements. However, for some elements, e.g., Potassium, Chlorine or Manganese, especially the water extraction led to significant decreases in concentrations and altered temporal trends. Apparently the dipole effect of water produced the strongest extraction power of all three solvents. In addition we observed a dependency of extraction intensity from wood density which differed between wood types. Our results help in interpreting and evaluating element profiles and mark a step forward in establishing dendrochemistry as a robust proxy in dendro-environmental research.

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Can tree-ring chemistry be used to monitor atmospheric nanoparticle contamination over time?

Cited by 20 publications

References 139 publications

Detection of silver nanoparticles inside leaf of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Detection of silver nanoparticles inside leaf of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

First evidence of nanoparticle uptake through leaves and roots in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

To extract or not to extract? Influence of chemical extraction treatment of wood samples on element concentrations in tree-rings measured by X-ray fluorescence

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