Biomonitoring organischer Luftschadstoffe. Aufnahme und Wirkung in Pflanzen. Literaturstudie

In the present study the literature on the phytotoxicity and accumulation of environmentally relevant organic pollutants in terrestrial plants has been evaluated. The objective was to find plant species which might be used as bioindicators in a large-scale monitoring system. The study revealed that the present knowledge on uptake and effect mechanisms of organic air pollutants in plants is very poor. Since most investigations have been performed with single species, the impact of air pollutants on ecosystems cannot be assessed. Except for ethene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene only scarce information on visible sensitive reactions of plants after exposure to organic pollutants is available. Investigations on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, chlorinated aromatics and phtalic esters showed that these chemicals can be accumulated in plants in considerable amounts, and may thus increase the exposure potential for species from higher tropic levels, including man. Plants with a high surface: biomass ratio exhibited a high accumulation potential for particulate air pollutants. Mosses and lichens lacking a cuticula preventing pollutant uptake may also be used as bioaccumulators. With the above limitations, measuring the impact of plants or plant surfaces might be a suitable tool for registering organic pollutant-induced stress to plants in different geographical regions.