Abstract
Vaccinium myrtillus L. is a plant that is tolerant to heavy metals that can grow in polluted and disturbed forest habitats and is a reliable pollution indicator. We aimed to assess the heavy metal bioaccumulation capacity of bilberry leaves, to assess the leaf traits and the ecophysiological responses to heavy metal stress in this species. We determined the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in the leaves of Vaccinium myrtillus from four differently heavy metal-polluted forest sites. The highest Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations were found in bilberry leaves that had been exposed to emissions from a zinc smelter. Moreover, we found the highest levels of Cd, Pb and Zn in the soil at the same study site. The ecological risk was quantified using the potential ecological risk index (RI), taking into account the concentrations of heavy metals, the ecological risk factors and the toxic response factors. Generally, an extremely high ecological risk was estimated for two sampling sites (Miasteczko Śląskie and Bukowno) and a considerable ecological risk was estimated for one sampling site (Łosień). Additionally, we demonstrated that Cd is the metal that poses the highest ecological threat in the studied areas. The investigated heavy metals have significantly affected the area, width, perimeter, aspect ratio and roundness index of the studied bilberry leaves. Specifically, an increase of Mn in the blueberry leaves significantly reduced these parameters (apart from the aspect ratio). We observed that an increased bioaccumulation of the selected heavy metals in the leaves caused cell membrane damage and a higher malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The results and methods that were used in this study could be suitable for improving biomonitoring and can be widely applied in forest ecosystems, including heavy metal-polluted areas.
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The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy restrictions.
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MKC was involved in study concept and design, statistical analysis and drafting of the manuscript. MKC and ANS analysed and interpreted the data. ANS and JG critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Kandziora-Ciupa, M., Gospodarek, J. & Nadgórska-Socha, A. Pollution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in forest soils with changes in the leaf traits and membrane integrity of Vaccinium myrtillus L.. Eur J Forest Res 141, 409–419 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-022-01446-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-022-01446-8