TITLE:
Comparative Study of Conocarpus erectus and Phoenix dactylifera as Plant Biomonitors of Particulate Matter Pollution in Kuwait over Three Land Use Classes
AUTHORS:
Athari Abdulaziz Almutawa, Samson Roeland
KEYWORDS:
Biomonitoring, Kuwait, Particulate Matter, Spatial Distribution, Magnetic Concentration, Pollution Source
JOURNAL NAME:
Atmospheric and Climate Sciences,
Vol.12 No.2,
February
10,
2022
ABSTRACT: Magnetic plant biomonitoring has been proven to be
an effective tool in the assessment of air quality. Kuwait presents a unique
environment due to its dry desert climatic conditions and prevailing dry
deposition patterns that may affect accumulation rates of magnetic mineral
particles. This study evaluated two widely distributed ornamental species,
buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) and palm (Phoenix dactylifera) for their effectiveness as
biomagnetic monitors over three different land use classes (urban, suburban and
industrial land classes). The differences between land use classes were
classified by their proximity to major pollution sources as well as population
density. Leaf sampling was conducted over various heights and distances from
the nearest road. Total leaf saturated isothermal magnetization (SIRM), hard
isothermal magnetization (HIRM), hard isothermal magnetization percentage
(HIRM%) and s-ratio have been measured. Scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) was used to analyze leaf surface micromorphology. It was determined that
NRM values are similar for all land use classes and species, ranging from 0.3
to 0.5 μA. Palm leaf overall magnetic concentration was identified to be higher
at the industrial land use class than at the urban land use class, indicating
high coercivity minerals to magnetically dominate the land use classes.
Additionally, total leaf SIRM was determined to be higher at short distances of
0 - 5 meters from the vicinity of the road. The surface
rugosity of palm has deep ridges and furrows with ununiform wax projections
across the leaf surface, while buttonwood has a smooth wax film with low relief.
Differences in leaf micromorphology in addition to plant physiology, justify
species magnetic parametric variances. Palm leaf had an average SIRM value that
is 120% higher than buttonwood. It has been highlighted that through the
application of the magnetic parameter results to spatial distribution maps that
there is an association between particulate matter (PM) and the locality of
main roads and local services that may experience higher intensities of traffic.