Olive tree, Olea europaea L., leaves as a bioindicator of atmospheric PCB contamination

Abstract

Olive tree leaf samples were collected to investigate their possible use for biomonitoring of lipophilic toxic substances. The samples were analyzed for 28 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) congeners. Twelve congeners were detected in the samples. 77, 81, 89, 105, 114, and 153 were the most frequently detected congeners ranging from 32 % for PCB-52 to 97 % for PCB-81. Σ 12 PCBs concentration varied from below detection limit to 248 ng/g wet weight in the sampling area, while the mean congener concentrations ranged from 0.06 ng/g (PCB-128+167) to 64.2 ng/g wet weight (PCB-60). Constructed concentration maps showed that olive tree leaves can be employed for the estimation of spatial distrubution of these congeners.

Why “Biomonitoring”?

“…But when it comes to ecology and ecotoxicology, the outlook is simply magnificent. For me, the stubborn doctor again, biomonitoring in mosses [42][43][44], lichens [45] and leaves [46,47] or needles [48] of trees or even feathers [49] was simply another kind of ambient monitoring where the biological matrix only serves as a sort of passive sampler. Sometimes the species sampled might even serve as food for humans so that wildlife biomonitoring has a direct relevance for human health [50][51][52].…”