Bioavailability Assessment of Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in Soils Affected by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Using Phytoscreening

The primary objective of the present study was to assess the transfer of Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in soils at polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminated site into forest vegetation using phytoscreening technique applied to tree individuals of native species from the Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Tree core and paired soil samples from the tree sites were digested in a microwave system and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for their respective total metal content. Additionally, soil samples were treated by the Mehlich-1 solution to assess the labile content of the analytes. The labile content in soil and concentrations in wood samples of Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn revealed no direct correlation in either area. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the two sampling areas in terms of total and labile soil concentrations or concentrations in wood samples of these metals. Thus, it is assumed that the presence of PAHs did not influence the bio-uptake of these metals into wood tissue. However, the Fe content in the wood samples of the impacted area was significantly higher than in the reference area, indicating that Fe bio-uptake could possibly be influenced by PAH in soils.