The presence of heavy metals in Avicennia schaueriana Stapf & Leechman ex Moldenke leaf and epicuticular wax from different mangroves around Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2020-07, Vol.27 (19), p.23714-23729
• Main Authors: Victório, Cristiane Pimentel, dos Santos, Mayara Silva, de Mello, Marise Costa, Bento, João Pedro Silvério Pena, da Costa Souza, Marcelo, Simas, Naomi Kato, do Carmo de Oliveira Arruda, Rosani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; atomic absorption spectrometry; Avicennia; Bays; Brazil; Chemical analysis; Coastal zone; coasts; Cuticular wax; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Emission analysis; energy-dispersive X-ray analysis; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; epicuticular wax; Gas chromatography; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Halophytes; Heavy metals; Inductively coupled plasma; Iron; Leaves; Light microscopy; lupeol; Manganese; Mangrove swamps; Mangroves; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Metals, Heavy - analysis; microstructure; Optical emission spectroscopy; Optical microscopy; Phytoremediation; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Research Article; Scientific imaging; swamps; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; X-ray spectroscopy; Zinc
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-08606-6

This study aimed to investigate the leaf epicuticular wax and the presence of heavy metals in leaves of Avicennia shaueriana , a halophyte found in Brazilian mangroves. We evaluated plants collected in mangroves located around Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro State. Heavy metals were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS or EDX) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP - OES ) . Chemical analysis of epicuticular wax was made by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We also evaluated the micromorphology of leaf surface using scanning electronic and light microscopy. The leaves from each mangrove presented alterations in wax layer. Fagarasterol (lupeol) in high quantity was the main triterpene identified in the leaf wax from plants collected in all mangroves: Coroa Grande (76.43%), Pedra de Guaratiba (38.91%), and Marambaia (62.56%). Al, Fe, Mn, and Zn were the main heavy metals detected in leaves from the three mangroves by ICP-OES. Thus, we show that that plants able to survive in the mangrove swamp can adapt to the exposure of heavy metals, accumulate them in their leaves, and be used in coastal area recovery projects as a phytoremediator.