Assessment of Spatial Variability of Heavy Metals in Metropolitan Zone of Toluca Valley, Mexico, Using the Biomonitoring Technique in Mosses and TXRF Analysis

• Published in: TheScientificWorld Vol. 2013; no. 2013; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Macedo-Miranda, Guadalupe, Ortiz-Oliveros, Huemantzin, Zepeda-Gómez, Carmen, Avila-Pérez, Pedro, Tejeda-Vega, Samuel, Poblano-Bata, Josefina, Zarazúa-Ortega, Graciela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01-01-2013; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air pollution; Anthropogenic factors; Atmospheric pollution deposition; Bioindicators; Biological Assay - methods; Biological monitoring; Biomonitoring; Bryophyta - chemistry; Calcium; Chromium; Copper; Deposition; Enrichment; Environmental aspects; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Fluorescence; Fossil fuels; Fuel combustion; Heavy metals; Human influences; Indicator organisms; Iron; Lead; Manganese; Metal concentrations; Metals; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Methods; Mexico; Micropollutants; Mosses; Nickel; Physiology; Point source pollution; Pollutants; Pollution sources; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission - methods; Strontium; Titanium; Urban areas; X ray reflection; X-ray fluorescence; Zinc; Mexico
• ISSN: 2356-6140; 1537-744X; 1537-744X
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/426492

This study is aimed at assessing atmospheric deposition of heavy metals using the epiphytic moss genera Fabronia ciliaris collected from six urban sites in the Metropolitan Zone of the Toluca Valley in Mexico. The concentrations of K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, and Pb were determined by total reflection X-ray fluorescence technique. Results show that the average metal concentration decrease in the following order: Fe (8207 mg/Kg) > Ca (7315 mg/Kg) > K (3842 mg/Kg) > Ti (387 mg/Kg) > Mn, Zn (191 mg/Kg) > Sr (71 mg/Kg) > Pb (59 mg/Kg) > Cu, V (32 mg/Kg) > Cr (24 mg/Kg) > Rb (13 mg/Kg) > Ni (10 mg/Kg). Enrichment factors show a high enrichment for Cr, Cu, Zn, and Pb which provides an evidence of anthropogenic impact in the industrial and urban areas, mainly due to the intense vehicular traffic and the fossil fuel combustion. Monitoring techniques in mosses have proved to be a powerful tool for determining the deposition of heavy metals coming from diverse point sources of pollution.