Chemometric Evaluation of 16 Priority PAHs in Soil and Roots of Syringa vulgaris and Ficus carica from the Bor Region (Serbia): An Insight into the Natural Plant Potential for Soil Phytomonitoring and Phytoremediation

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

2025

Authors

Papludis, Aleksandra D.
Alagić, Slađana Č.
Milić, Snežana M.
Nikolić, Jelena S.
Jevtović, Snežana Č.
Stankov Jovanović, Vesna P.
Stojanović, Gordana S.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

MDPI

Source

Environments

Volume

12

Issue

8

Abstract

The soil phytomonitoring and phytostabilization potential of Syringa vulgaris and Ficus carica was evaluated regarding 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using a chemometric approach and the calculation of bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for each individual PAH in plants’ roots from each selected location in the Bor region. PAHs in roots and the corresponding soils were analyzed using the QuEChERS (Quick, Effective, Cheap, Easy, Rugged, Safe) method with some new modifications, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, Pearson’s correlation study, hierarchical cluster analysis, and BCFs. Several central conclusions are as follows: Each plant species developed its own specific capability for PAH management, and root concentrations ranged from not detected (for several compounds) to 5592 μg/kg (for fluorene in S. vulgaris). In some cases, especially regarding benzo(a)pyrene and chrysene, both plants had a similar tactic—the total avoidance of assimilation (probably due to their high toxicity). Both plants retained significant quantities of different PAHs in their roots (many calculated BCFs were higher than 1 or were even extremely high), which recommends them for PAH phytostabilization (especially fluorene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and benzo(k)fluoranthene). In soil monitoring, neither of the plants are helpful because their roots do not reflect the actual situation found in soil. Finally, the analysis of the corresponding soils provided useful monitoring information.

Description

Keywords

chemometrics, common fig, common lilac, PAHs, soil monitoring, remediation

Citation

DOI

10.3390/environments12080256

Scopus

ISSN

2076-3298

ISBN

License

CC-BY

Collections