Leaf Morpho-anatomical Structure Determines Differential Response Among Restinga Species Exposed to Emissions from an Iron Ore Pelletizing Plant

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 231; no. 4
• Main Authors: da Silva, Luzimar Campos, de Freitas-Silva, Larisse, Rocha, Diego Ismael, da Silva Castro Pereira, Janaína, de Freitas Assis, Débora Evelyn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-04-2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air pollution; Airborne remote sensing; Atmospheric particulates; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Coastal ecosystems; Cuticles; Dust storms; Earth and Environmental Science; Emissions; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Epidermis; Exposure; Habitat fragmentation; Hydrogeology; Hypertrophy; Hypodermis; Indigenous species; Indoor air pollution; Iron; Iron compounds; Iron industry; Iron ores; Leaves; Morphology; Native organisms; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Pelleting; Plasmolysis; Pollutants; Protection and preservation; Sensitivity; Skin; Soil Science & Conservation; Species; Stomata; Sulfur; Sulfur compounds; Sulfur dioxide; Sulphur; Sulphur dioxide; Suspended particulate matter; Trichomes; Tropical climate; Turgor; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Particulate iron deposition; Symptomatology; Sulfur dioxide
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-020-04533-x

An iron ore pelletizing plant in southeastern Brazil exposes the tropical coastal ecosystems known as restinga to emissions of dust, iron solid particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide (SO
2
). We aimed to assess the effects of those emissions on the leaf morphology and anatomy of the restinga species
Byrsonima sericea
,
Cordia verbenacea
, and
Psidium guineense
by evaluating visual symptomatology and analyzing the anatomical and micromorphological alterations resulting from exposure. Leaves were collected from individuals growing at two sites: a restinga forest fragment located 800 m away from the pelletizing plant and a restinga conservation unit 20 km away, which served as reference site. In all three species, individuals growing near the pelletizing plant showed necrotic regions on the leaf and foliar micromorphological alterations like turgor loss of epidermal cells, cuticle and epicuticular wax erosion, stomatal obliteration, and rupture and plasmolysis of trichomes. Anatomically, we found cell collapse, cell hypertrophy, and formation of a wound tissue.
C. verbenacea
showed the most severe visual and anatomical damage, being thus considered the most sensitive species to emissions. Leaf structural features such as uniseriate epidermis, lack of hypodermis, and presence of trichomes contributed to the highest sensitivity of
C. verbenacea
. Our findings reinforce the importance of performing morpho-anatomical studies to elucidate how leaf structure determines differential sensitivity to airborne pollutants in native species.