Sulfur Contamination and Environmental Effects: A Case Study of Current SO2 Industrial Emission by Biomonitoring and Regional Post-mining hot-spots

The presence of sulfur in the environment is an important macroelement for plant growth but becomes harmful in excessive amounts. The previous century saw rising levels of high SO 2 concentrations (stemming from fossil fuel combustion) and wet deposition from acid rain, causing the intensification o...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The open biotechnology journal 2021-04, Vol.15 (1), p.82-96
Main Authors: Likus-Cieślik, Justyna, Pietrzykowski, Marcin
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The presence of sulfur in the environment is an important macroelement for plant growth but becomes harmful in excessive amounts. The previous century saw rising levels of high SO 2 concentrations (stemming from fossil fuel combustion) and wet deposition from acid rain, causing the intensification of forest die-back. Air pollution can be controlled or measured by biomonitoring. Despite recent reductions in SO 2 emissions, urban and industrial areas are still at risk from high sulfur contamination. Open-cast lignite and sulfur borehole mining play a pivotal role in the regional scale of ecosystem contamination and acid mine drainage. Consequently, these aspects are unique for assessing the impact of extreme S contamination on soil properties changes, the vegetation effect, and biogeochemical cycles. We presented i) current SO 2 pollution based on S concentration in pine needles, and ii) a comprehensive study of soil properties, as well as plant reactions to excessive sulfur concentration in the restored forest ecosystem of a former sulfur mine.
ISSN:1874-0707
1874-0707
DOI:10.2174/1874070702115010082