Skip to main content
Passa alla visualizzazione normale.

MARIO LICATA

Spontaneous urban weeds: a resource against environmental pollution

  • Authors: Nicolò Iacuzzi; Davide Farruggia; Mario Licata; yuri Bellone; Teresa Tuttolomondo; Giuseppe Virga
  • Publication year: 2022
  • Type: Articolo in rivista
  • OA Link: http://hdl.handle.net/10447/584340

Abstract

Quality of the environment and social well-being, both at a collective and individual level, are closely interrelated issues. It is, in fact, a relationship that invests values of primary importance, such as those relating to human health and safety, heritage and resources to be passed on to future generations. Plant growth and survival can be challenged by harsh urban conditions. Many studies show the persistence of endemic species in built-up areas and document the ecosystem services provided. With this research we wanted to investigate the bioaccumulation of heavy metals such as cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), molibden (Mo), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg), in some spontaneous plants found along Viale Regione Siciliana, the most important thoroughfare of the city of Palermo with high traffic intensity. In two distinct seasons (spring and summer), the most present spontaneous plants were collected: Daucus carota, Verbascum sinuatum, Sorghum halepense and Plantago lanceolata; after, the plants were subjected to drying and analysis for the survey of heavy metals. The results were comforting as the four species all accumulated the metals investigated, albeit with different selectivity. In both seasons, the most present element was Zn, while the other elements, such as Co, Ni, As, Mo, Cd, Cu and Cd, underwent significant fluctuations. Only Hg exceeded the critical values in both seasons and in all the species examined. Furthermore, it had an opposite trend compared to the other elements, finding itself in greater concentration in the tissues of plants during the summer season. The investigation, albeit preliminary, confirmed the ability of some herbaceous plants to accumulate heavy metals, suggesting the use of a set of herbaceous plants for biomonitoring in response to the need for monitoring and verifying environmental sustainability.