IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i4p2072-d748055.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Anthropogenic Sources Dominate Foliar Chromium Dust Deposition in a Mining-Based Urban Region of South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Sutapa Adhikari

    (Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa)

  • Anine Jordaan

    (Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, Chemical Resource Beneficiation (CRB), North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa)

  • Johan Paul Beukes

    (Chemical Resource Beneficiation (CRB), North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa)

  • Stefan John Siebert

    (Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa)

Abstract

Dust pollution can be severe in urban centers near mines and smelters. Identification of dust sources and assessing dust capturing plant morphological traits may help address the problem. A chromium (Cr) mining and ferrochrome smelting region in Sekhukhuneland, South Africa, was investigated to identify the sources of Cr in soil and plant leaf surfaces and to evaluate the association between Cr sources and plant morphology. Combinations of bi- and multivariate statistical analysis techniques were applied. Non-significant relation between Cr quantities in surface soil and on leaf surfaces suggested negligible Cr dust contribution from soil to leaves. Association among Cr, Fe, Mg, Al, and Si levels on leaf surfaces confirmed their shared origin, possibly from chromite containing dust dispersed by mines, smelters, roads, and tailings. Both plant morphology and Cr sources (number and proximity to mines and roads) conjointly determined Cr dust deposition on leaf surfaces. Air mass movement patterns further identified local polluters, i.e., mines, ferrochrome smelters, and roads, as dominant dust sources in the region. Common plant species showed Cr dust adhesion favouring traits (plant tallness, larger leaf area, dense epicuticular wax structures, and larger stomata) and projected dust mitigation prospects for Sekhukhuneland.

Suggested Citation

  • Sutapa Adhikari & Anine Jordaan & Johan Paul Beukes & Stefan John Siebert, 2022. "Anthropogenic Sources Dominate Foliar Chromium Dust Deposition in a Mining-Based Urban Region of South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:4:p:2072-:d:748055
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/4/2072/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/4/2072/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. R. J. Scholes & R. Biggs, 2005. "A biodiversity intactness index," Nature, Nature, vol. 434(7029), pages 45-49, March.
    2. Jie Yang & Yanguo Teng & Liuting Song & Rui Zuo, 2016. "Tracing Sources and Contamination Assessments of Heavy Metals in Road and Foliar Dusts in a Typical Mining City, China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-19, December.
    3. Prince Amoah & Gabriel Eweje, 2021. "Impact mitigation or ecological restoration? Examining the environmental sustainability practices of multinational mining companies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 551-565, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tiantian Ma & Youwen Zhang & Qingbai Hu & Minghai Han & Xiaohua Li & Youjun Zhang & Zhiguang Li & Rongguang Shi, 2022. "Accumulation Characteristics and Pollution Evaluation of Soil Heavy Metals in Different Land Use Types: Study on the Whole Region of Tianjin," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Roland Clift & Sarah Sim & Henry King & Jonathan L. Chenoweth & Ian Christie & Julie Clavreul & Carina Mueller & Leo Posthuma & Anne-Marie Boulay & Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer & Julia Chatterton & Fabrice , 2017. "The Challenges of Applying Planetary Boundaries as a Basis for Strategic Decision-Making in Companies with Global Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-23, February.
    3. Stephanie D. Maier & Jan Paul Lindner & Javier Francisco, 2019. "Conceptual Framework for Biodiversity Assessments in Global Value Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-34, March.
    4. Ding, Helen & Nunes, Paulo A.L.D., 2014. "Modeling the links between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing in the context of climate change: Results from an econometric analysis of the European forest ecosystems," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 60-73.
    5. Lafuite, A.-S. & Loreau, M., 2017. "Time-delayed biodiversity feedbacks and the sustainability of social-ecological systems," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 351(C), pages 96-108.
    6. Verboom, Jana & Alkemade, Rob & Klijn, Jan & Metzger, Marc J. & Reijnen, Rien, 2007. "Combining biodiversity modeling with political and economic development scenarios for 25 EU countries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 267-276, April.
    7. Andrea Chiarini, 2021. "Industry 4.0 technologies in the manufacturing sector: Are we sure they are all relevant for environmental performance?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3194-3207, November.
    8. Halkos, George E., 2011. "Nonparametric modelling of biodiversity: Determinants of threatened species," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 618-635, July.
    9. Melissa Anne Beryl Vogt, 2021. "Ecological sensitivity within human realities concept for improved functional biodiversity outcomes in agricultural systems and landscapes," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Changbai Xi & Yao Chi & Tianlu Qian & Wenhan Zhang & Jiechen Wang, 2020. "Simulation of Human Activity Intensity and Its Influence on Mammal Diversity in Sanjiangyuan National Park, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-14, June.
    11. Bjoern Soergel & Elmar Kriegler & Isabelle Weindl & Sebastian Rauner & Alois Dirnaichner & Constantin Ruhe & Matthias Hofmann & Nico Bauer & Christoph Bertram & Benjamin Leon Bodirsky & Marian Leimbac, 2021. "A sustainable development pathway for climate action within the UN 2030 Agenda," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 11(8), pages 656-664, August.
    12. Haberl, Helmut & Gaube, Veronika & Díaz-Delgado, Ricardo & Krauze, Kinga & Neuner, Angelika & Peterseil, Johannes & Plutzar, Christoph & Singh, Simron J. & Vadineanu, Angheluta, 2009. "Towards an integrated model of socioeconomic biodiversity drivers, pressures and impacts. A feasibility study based on three European long-term socio-ecological research platforms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1797-1812, April.
    13. R. Travis Belote, 2018. "Proposed Release of Wilderness Study Areas in Montana (USA) Would Demote the Conservation Status of Nationally-Valuable Wildlands," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-10, June.
    14. Kocev, Dragi & Džeroski, Sašo & White, Matt D. & Newell, Graeme R. & Griffioen, Peter, 2009. "Using single- and multi-target regression trees and ensembles to model a compound index of vegetation condition," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(8), pages 1159-1168.
    15. Halkos, George, 2010. "Modelling biodiversity," MPRA Paper 39075, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Olivier Boiral & Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria & Marie‐Christine Brotherton, 2023. "Sustainability management and social license to operate in the extractive industry: The cross‐cultural gap with Indigenous communities," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 125-137, February.
    17. Iker Etxano & Itziar Barinaga-Rementeria & Oihana Garcia, 2018. "Conflicting Values in Rural Planning: A Multifunctionality Approach through Social Multi-Criteria Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-29, May.
    18. Vilém Pechanec & Ondřej Cudlín & Miloš Zapletal & Jan Purkyt & Lenka Štěrbová & Karel Chobot & Elvis Tangwa & Renata Včeláková & Marcela Prokopová & Pavel Cudlín, 2021. "Assessing Habitat Vulnerability and Loss of Naturalness: Applying the GLOBIO3 Model in the Czech Republic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-18, May.
    19. Hanlie Malherbe & Stephan Pauleit & Carsten Lorz, 2019. "Mapping the Loss of Ecosystem Services in a Region Under Intensive Land Use Along the Southern Coast of South Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-18, March.
    20. Sagoff, Mark, 2018. "What Is Invasion Biology?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 22-30.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:4:p:2072-:d:748055. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.