Source identification of potentially toxic metals in plants of alpine ecosystems of mt. madra by positive matrix factorization

Abstract

In this study, the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in plants sampled from Mt. Madra were investigated. Furthermore, the distribution characteristics and source identifcation of potentially toxic metals were investigated with the application of Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modelling. Samples of 26 diferent plant species were taken from Mt. Madra at elevations ranging from 177 to 1347 m using the multi-point sampling approach. The metal quantities measured by ICP-OES are the following sequences (mean±SD) (mg/kg): Fe (974.96±29.6)>Mn (111.81±2.6)>Zn (27.28±0.2)>Ni (2.17±0.03)>Pb (0.77±0.01)>Cd (0.12±0.01). According to the plant samples in which the highest values were determined, the metals are as follows: Cd (Lathyrus laxiforus, 0.401 mg/ kg), Fe (Ajuga orientalis, 7621.207 mg/kg), Mn (Castanea sativa, 724.927 mg/kg), Ni (Prunella laciniata, 6.947 mg/kg), Pb (Crataegus stevenii, 3.955 mg/kg) and Zn (Prunella laciniata, 50.802 mg/kg). The results of the PMF model showed that Cd had an atmospheric transport factor originated and transported from industrial activites, Ni had a substrate factor, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn were infuenced by diferent anthropogenic factors.