Ground Water Chlorinated Ethenes in Tree Trunks: Case Studies, Influence of Recharge, and Potential Degradation Mechanism

Abstract

Trichloroethene (TCE) was detected in cores of trees growing above TCE‐contaminated ground at three sites: the Carswell Golf Course in Texas, Air Force Plant PJKS in Colorado, and Naval Weapons Station Charleston in South Carolina. This was true even when the depth to water was 7.9 m or when the contaminated aquifer was confined beneath ∼3 m of clay. Additional ground water contaminants detected in the tree cores were cis–1,2‐dichloroethene at two sites and tetrachloroethene at one site. Thus, tree coring can be a rapid and effective means of locating shallow subsurface chlorinated ethenes and possibly identifying zones of active TCE dechlorination. Tree cores collected over time were useful in identifying the onset of ground water contamination. Several factors affecting chlorinated ethene concentrations in tree cores were identified in this investigation. The factors include ground water chlorinated ethene concentrations and depth to ground water contamination. In addition, differing TCE concentrations around the trunk of some trees appear to be related to the roots deriving water from differing areas. Opportunistic uptake of infiltrating rainfall can dilute prerain TCE concentrations in the trunk. TCE concentrations in core headspace may differ among some tree species. In some trees, infestation of bacteria in decaying heartwood may provide a TCE dechlorination mechanism within the trunk.

Application of Dendrochronological and Dendrochemical Methods for Dating Contamination Events of the Saint-François and Massawippi Riverbanks (Québec, Canada)

“…There are also numerous applications in large-scale climate reconstructions and environmental studies (Fritts, 1976;Firestone et al, 2003;Balouet et al, 2007b). Dendrogeochemistry, which is based on in-depth and detailed analysis of the chemicals found in growth rings (including heavy metals and radiogenic elements), is widely used to assess the environmental impacts associated with contamination events on a local or regional scale, while establishing the chronological references related to these events (Hagemeyer, 1993;Vroblesky et al 2004;St. George et al, 2006;Savard et al, 2006;Balouet et al, 2007a).…”

Use of Dendrochronology and Dendrochemistry in Environmental Forensics: Does It Meet theDaubertCriteria?

“…For example, tree-ring studies have been used to monitor areas contaminated with arsenic (Cheng et al, 2007); fossil fuels (Baes III and Ragsdale, 1981;Balouet and Oudijk, 2006;Balouet et al, 2007;Balouet et al, 2008), heavy metals (Zou et al, 2004;Punshon et al, 2005;Devall et al, 2006;Sheppard et al, 2007), chlorinated solvents (Balouet et al, 2007;Larsen et al, 2008), nutrients (Vroblesky and Yanosky, 1990;Vroblesky et al, 1992), precipitation acidity (Kwak et al, 2008), and radioactive isotopes (Edmunds et al, 2001;Kalin, 1995;Kagawa et al, 2002;Mazeika et al, 2007;Rao et al, 2002). Tree-core studies also have been used to map the subsurface distribution of contamination by chlorinated solvents (Vroblesky et al, 1999;Schumacher et al, 2004;Vroblesky et al, 2004;Doucette et al, 2007;Graber and Soprek, 2007).…”

Aplicação do método phytoscreening para determinação de hidrocarbonetos clorados em área tropical - Brasil – SP

“…De acordo com Vroblesky et al (1999Vroblesky et al ( , 2001), a presença de contaminantes nas amostras de tronco de árvores permite o mapeamento e reconhecimento da pluma de contaminação, uma vez que uma ampla variedade de compostos orgânicos voláteis (VOC) é absorvida pelas plantas. A amostragem do tronco das árvores tem sido usada para detectar e mapear a contaminação do subsolo (VROBLESKY e YANOSKY, 1990;VROBLESKY et al, 1999;YANOSKY e VROBLESKY., 1992, 1995YANOSKY et al, 2001) por compostos orgânicos voláteis (VROBLESKY, 2008;HOLM et al, 2011) em diferentes locais (GORDON et al, 1998;VROBLESKY et al, 1999;NARAYANAN et al, 1999;NEWMAN et al, 1999;MA e BURKEN 2002;MA e BURKEN 2003;STRUCKHOFF et al, 2005;GOPALAKRISHNAN et al, 2007;SOREK et al, 2008;LARSEN et al, 2008;BURKEN et al, 2009;BURKEN et al, 2011) Compostos VOC como benzeno, tolueno, etilbenzeno, isômeros de xileno, trimetilbenzeno, MTBE, 1,1,2,2-tetracloroetano, tricloroetileno (TCE), tetracloroeteno (PCE), 1,1,1-tricloroetano (TCA), cloreto de vinila (VC) e cis-1,2-dicloroeteno (cDCE) são absorvidos pelas raízes das plantas e, assim, encontrados nos troncos de árvores (BURKEN, 2001;BURKEN e SCHNOOR, 1998;HIRSH et al, 2003;LANDMEYER et al, 2000;NEWMAN et al, 1997;NIETCH et al, 1999;TRAPP et al, 2007;VROBLESKY et al, , 2006.…”