Differences between Pinus pinea and Pinus pinaster as bioindicators of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2011

Authors

Nuno Ratola (Author) FEUP; José Manuel Amigo (Author) Other; Mónica S. N. Oliveira (Author) Other; Rita Araújo (Author) Other; José A. Silva (Author) Other; Arminda Alves (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Environmental and Experimental Botany

Vol. 72 No. 2

Pages: 339-347

ISSN: 0098-8472

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 29 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 42 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Earth and related Environmental sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-NJH

DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2011.04.012

Abstract (EN): The potential of Univariate and Multivariate Analysis and specifically Principal Components Analysis (PCA), has been employed to assess the performance of pine needles as bioindicators of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and particularly emphasize the crucial importance of making a distinction between different pine species if more than one is sampled. Four sampling sessions were done in 29 sites and needles of two common pine species (Pinus pinaster Ait. in 19 sites and Pinus pinea L in 12) were collected and analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and PCA. The results obtained indicated significant differences between species, attributed to their different morphology. The mean total PAH concentration of the P. pinaster needles are over two times higher than P. pinea's. This difference is lower when the results are presented in lipid weight, but still statistically significant. Samples from the two sites with adjacent trees reinforce these conclusions, showing significant differences in terms of PAH mean concentration and aromatic ring patterns.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9