Investigation of Lead and Cadmium Levels in Roadside Rhododendron Leaves in Bergen, Norway Utilizing Multivariate Analysis
✍ Scribed by Paul Johan Hol; Andrew J. Gawron; Julia M. Hurst; Adam R. Yeager; Dean A. Van Galen; Rolf Isrenn
- Book ID
- 102618308
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 78 KB
- Volume
- 55
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0026-265X
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✦ Synopsis
Rhododendron leaves were collected from 10 sites in Bergen, Norway and analyzed for lead and cadmium by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The data were subjected to multivariate analysis to examine the relationship between measured metal concentrations and variables including relative traffic density, distance from the roadside, and location of leaves on the plant as well as the effect of (NH 4 ) 2 EDTA washing of the leaves. Using principal component analysis, it was possible to separate the 10 sites into two classes (polluted and less polluted) of 5 sites each. Lead levels were found to be highly correlated with traffic density, and rhododendron leaves appear to be excellent bioindicators of roadside lead pollution. Cadmium levels were not strongly correlated with traffic density, suggesting that traffic is not a significant source of cadmium deposition in the city.