Biomonitoring for metal contamination near two Superfund sites in Woburn, Massachusetts, using phytochelatins.
Environ Pollut
; 131(1): 125-35, 2004 Sep.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15210281
ABSTRACT
Characterizing the spatial extent of groundwater metal contamination traditionally requires installing sampling wells, an expensive and time-consuming process in urban areas. Moreover, extrapolating biotic effects from metal concentrations alone is problematic, making ecological risk assessment difficult. Our study is the first to examine the use of phytochelatin measurements in tree leaves for delimiting biological metal stress in shallow, metal-contaminated groundwater systems. Three tree species (Rhamnus frangula, Acer platanoides, and Betula populifolia) growing above the shallow groundwater aquifer of the Aberjona River watershed in Woburn, Massachusetts, display a pattern of phytochelatin production consistent with known sources of metal contamination and groundwater flow direction near the Industri-Plex Superfund site. Results also suggest the existence of a second area of contaminated groundwater and elevated metal stress near the Wells G&H Superfund site downstream, in agreement with a recent EPA ecological risk assessment. Possible contamination pathways at this site are discussed.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Contexto en salud:
2_ODS3
Problema de salud:
2_enfermedades_transmissibles
/
2_quimicos_contaminacion
Asunto principal:
Monitoreo del Ambiente
/
Hojas de la Planta
/
Contaminación Ambiental
/
Metaloproteínas
/
Metales
Tipo de estudio:
Risk_factors_studies
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Environ Pollut
Asunto de la revista:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Año:
2004
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos