The impact of aluminium smelter shut-down on the concentration of fluoride in vegetation and soils.

Although a great deal is known about the deposition of fluoride on vegetation, and the hazards associated with uptake by grazing herbivores, little is known about what happens to the concentration of fluoride in vegetation and soil at polluted sites once deposition ceases. The closure of Anglesey Aluminium Metals Ltd smelter, in September 2009, provided a unique opportunity to study fluoride loading once deposition stopped. Fluoride was monitored in plants and soil within 1 km of the former emission source.

Ambient ozone effects on gas exchange and total non-structural carbohydrate levels in cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.) growing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Ozone-sensitive and -tolerant individuals of cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.) were compared for their gas exchange characteristics and total non-structural carbohydrates at Purchase Knob, a high elevation site in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Photosynthesis and stomatal conductance decreased with increased foliar stipple.

Visible foliar injury caused by ozone alters the relationship between SPAD meter readings and chlorophyll concentrations in cutleaf coneflower.

The ability of the SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter to quantify chlorophyll amounts in ozone-affected leaves of cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata var. digitata) was assessed in this study. When relatively uninjured leaves were measured (percent leaf area affected by stipple less than 6%), SPAD meter readings were linearly related to total chlorophyll with an adjusted R (2) of 0.

Seasonal profiles of leaf ascorbic acid content and redox state in ozone-sensitive wildflowers.

Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.), crown-beard (Verbesina occidentalis Walt.), and tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.

Seasonal development of ozone-induced foliar injury on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The goals of this study were to document the development of ozone-induced foliar injury, on a leaf-by-leaf basis, and to develop ozone exposure relationships for leaf cohorts and individual tall milkweeds (Asclepias exaltata L.) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Plants were classified as either ozone-sensitive or insensitive based on the amount of foliar injury.

Sub-canopy deposition of ozone in a stand of cutleaf coneflower.

Although there has been a great deal of research on ozone, interest in exposure of native, herbaceous species is relatively recent and it is still not clear what role the pollutant has in their ecological fitness. The ozone exposure of a plant is usually expressed in terms of the concentration above the canopy or as a time-weighted index. However, to understand the physiological effects of ozone it is necessary to quantify the ozone flux to individual leaves as they develop, which requires knowing the deposition velocity and concentration of the pollutant as a function of height throughout the plant canopy.

Native plant species suitable as bioindicators and biomonitors for airborne fluoride.

For 30-40 years airborne fluoride, usually in the form of HF or SiF4, was one of the most important and damaging air pollutants affecting forests, crops and natural vegetation. It is much more toxic than most other air pollutants such as O3 or SO2 because injury to the most sensitive species begins when they are exposed to a concentration below 1 ppb (ca. 0.

Atmospheric nitrogen compounds-issues related to agricultural systems.

Workable pollution abatement policies and effective legislation must be based on sound science. However, despite many years of research, there are still uncertainties about the effects of atmospheric nitrogen compounds on crops and other vegetation. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge of the main compounds, focussing on the concentrations and combinations of pollutants that occur in rural areas.