Publication detail

Assessment of Soil Contamination with Potentially Toxic Elements and Soil Ecotoxicity of Botanical Garden in Brno, Czech Republic: Are Urban Botanical Gardens More Polluted Than Urban Parks?

PECINA, V. BRTNICKÝ, M. BALKOVÁ, M. HEGROVÁ, J. BUCKOVÁ, M. BALTAZAR, T. LIČBINSKÝ, R. RADZIEMSKA, M.

Original Title

Assessment of Soil Contamination with Potentially Toxic Elements and Soil Ecotoxicity of Botanical Garden in Brno, Czech Republic: Are Urban Botanical Gardens More Polluted Than Urban Parks?

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Though botanical gardens are an important and widely visited component of urban green spaces (UGS) worldwide, their pollution is rarely studied. The aim of this study was to assess botanical garden soil contamination and ecotoxicity and to evaluate whether urban botanical gardens are more contaminated than urban parks. Soil assessments showed serious contamination with Cd, Pb and Zn, emitted predominantly by traffic, agrochemicals and past construction and demolition waste. The discovery of hazardous historical ecological burden in the UGS calls for the necessity of detailed surveys of such areas. Despite prevailing moderate-to-heavy contamination, the soil was only slightly ecotoxic. Maximum immobilisation inhibition of Daphnia magna reached 15%. Growth of Sinapis alba L. was predominantly stimulated (73%), and Desmodesmus subspicatus Chodat was exclusively stimulated, possibly due to soil alkalinity and fertiliser-related nutrients. The hypothesis of a higher contamination of urban botanical gardens compared to urban parks was confirmed. However, urban parks can face a greater risk of soil ecotoxicity, hypothetically due to decreased activity of soil organisms resulting from adverse soil conditions caused by active recreation. The results highlight the need for an increased focus on botanical and ornamental gardens when assessing and managing UGS as areas potentially more burdened with contamination.

Keywords

urban green spaces; ornamental garden; soil toxicity; construction and demolition waste; contamination; risk assessment

Authors

PECINA, V.; BRTNICKÝ, M.; BALKOVÁ, M.; HEGROVÁ, J.; BUCKOVÁ, M.; BALTAZAR, T.; LIČBINSKÝ, R.; RADZIEMSKA, M.

Released

17. 7. 2021

ISBN

1660-4601

Periodical

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Year of study

18

Number

14

State

Swiss Confederation

Pages from

1

Pages to

13

Pages count

13

URL

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7622

Full text in the Digital Library

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/201637

BibTex

@article{BUT172064,
  author="Václav {Pecina} and Martin {Brtnický} and Marie {Balková} and Jitka {Hegrová} and Martina {Bucková} and Tivadar {Baltazár} and Roman {Ličbinský} and Maja {Radziemska}",
  title="Assessment of Soil Contamination with Potentially Toxic Elements and Soil Ecotoxicity of Botanical Garden in Brno, Czech Republic: Are Urban Botanical Gardens More Polluted Than Urban Parks?
",
  journal="International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health",
  year="2021",
  volume="18",
  number="14",
  pages="1--13",
  doi="10.3390/ijerph18147622",
  issn="1660-4601",
  url="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7622"
}