Original scientific paper
DANDELION (TARAXACUM OFFICINALE) AS A POSSIBLE INDICATOR OF WAR CONTAMINATION IN EASTERN CROATIA
LIDIJA BIJELIĆ
; Institute of Medical Evaluation, Professional Rehabilitation and Disabled Persons, Varaždin, Croatia
DINKO PUNTARIĆ
orcid.org/0000-0001-9776-5533
; Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
VLATKA GVOZDIĆ
; Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Department of Chemistry, Osijek, Croatia
DOMAGOJ VIDOSAVLJEVIĆ
orcid.org/0000-0002-0621-5403
; School of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
ZDENKO LONČARIĆ
; School of Agriculture, Osijek. Croatia
ADA PUNTARIĆ
orcid.org/0000-0002-9521-8613
; School of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Zagreb,Croatia
EDA PUNTARIĆ
orcid.org/0000-0003-0467-219X
; Croatian Environmental and Nature Protection Agency, Zagreb, Croatia
IDA PUNTARIĆ
orcid.org/0000-0003-3365-4740
; Zagreb County Medical Center, Samobor, Croatia
SINIŠA ŠIJANOVIĆ
; School of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
MARINA VIDOSAVLJEVIĆ
; Vinkovci General Hospital, Vinkovci, Croatia
Abstract
Biomonitoring of the local population by analysis of serum, hair and urine samples, and collection of soil, water and vegetable samples was performed as part of a broader investigation of metal and metalloid load as a consequence of war events in eastern Croatia. Samples of dandelion (Taraxacum offi cinale), an edible wild-grown plant used in human and animal nutrition, were collected in the areas where the return of war displaced persons and agricultural activities in vegetable plots and gardens have not yet been fully implemented. The aim of the study was to establish whether there were differences in metal concentrations between the areas of high- and low-intensity war actions (HIWA and LIWA). Another aim was to assess the potential interdependence of metal contamination in the environment and humans, and the potential association with the ‘hot spots’, i.e. places heavily loaded with metals. Six and 22 dandelion samples were collected at 3 LIWA and 9 HIWA areas, respectively. The concentrations of metals and metalloids used in war actions (Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Si, Sr, U, V and Zn) were determined by the method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Relative to the minimum allowable concentration, elevated concentrations of lead were recorded in 2 samples, cadmium and arsenic in 1 sample each from HIWA, and of lead in 1 sample from LIWA areas. Differences in the concentrations of 21 elements between the samples collected in HIWA and LIWA areas were determined by Mann Whitney test, yielding a statistically signifi cant difference only for mercury (p=0.035). Metal and metalloid concentrations measured in dandelion samples did not correlate signifi cantly with those in soil specimens; Pearson’s coeffi cients (plant/soil) for each element ranged from 0.019 (Ba) to 0.31 (P). However, the principal component analysis revealed the majority of hard metals predominating at two locations (Mg, Sb, As, B, Sr, U, Cu, Ni, Pb, Si, Ni, Ba, Li, V, Al and Fe), whereas Cd and Hg had greater impact at the remaining locations. Elevated Sb and Pb concentrations rendered the location of Erdut Bridge an intermediary between the two basic clusters, which was consistent with increased Al, Fe, Ni and Mg concentrations determined in human hair, soil and vegetable from the same area. Dandelion as an indicator of environmental contamination with metals showed that total metal load consequential to Homeland War actions in eastern Croatia was not high; however, analysis of soil, vegetable and biological samples pointed to ‘hot spots’, one of them being the area of Danube Bridge near Erdut.
Keywords
dandelion; soil; metal and metalloids; Homeland War; eastern Croatia
Hrčak ID:
184902
URI
Publication date:
19.7.2017.
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