assessing the uptake and accumulation of heavy metals and particulate matter (pm10 and pm2.5) from ambient air using tree leaves in gorgan, iran

Trees are effectively used as biological indicators of urban environmental pollution and can demonstrate the amount and intensity of pollutant accumulation. this cross-sectional-analytical study aimed to assessing the uptake and accumulation of heavy metals and particulate matter (pm10 and pm2.5) from ambient air using tree leaves in gorgan. samples were collected from two types of trees in urban areas. therefore, considering the number of trees (two types of elm and plane), 52 leaf samples (26 summer samples, 26 winter samples), 13 soil samples and 13 water samples were collected. graphite furnace analyst 700 and icp-ms7500cs atomic absorption spectrometers were used to measure metals. carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were assessed. data analysis was performed using spss version 22 at a significance level of 5%. the highest concentration of pb in dust in platanus leaves was 60 mg/kg in the dry season. there was a statistically significant difference between the mean concentrations of pb and cr in dust accumulated on trees in the dry and wet seasons (p < 0.05). the highest average pm2.5 were related to the ulmus tree species. the highest and lowest (tthq) were determined for the platanus tree in the children group (3×10-4) and in the adult group (6.1×10-5), respectively. the highest and lowest (tlcr) values were found in the ulmus tree in the adult group (2.1×10-9). traffic sources play an important role in the production of heavy metals in dust, and dust particles can be used as an indicator of air pollution by heavy metals and suspended particles.