Contribution of urban greenery in mitigation of climate changes and pollution

Project aim: Analysis of heavy metal concentration in plant material and the influence of urban greenery on the absorption of heavy metals in order to mitigate urban pollution.

 

About the project: Due to climate change, short and heavy rains are becoming more frequent on the territory of Novi Sad. Leakage from impermeable urban areas is a priority environmental problem due to the high content of pollutants and heavy metals that are evacuated through the sewer system to the recipient, the Danube River, without any prior treatment. Heavy metals (lead, zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, etc.) have a highly toxic effect on human health and river ecosystems. One of the solutions to this problem is the application of biosystems in urban conditions which, in addition to improving living space, have the potential to contribute to reducing the concentration of hazardous substances in runoff from urban areas.

 

Plant species in high-risk localities in the city (frequent roads, parking lots, etc.) are bioindicators that can indicate the degree of heavy metal pollution based on their presence in the underground and aboveground organs of plants. The research consists of several units: 1) Field analysis of samples of plant material (leaf, root, tree, flower), before and after rains that cause swelling, 2) testing for the presence of heavy metals: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Hr) and nickel (Ni) by standard laboratory methods and using modern hyperspectral analyzes and hyperspectral cameras, as well as xRF method, 3) GIS mapping of accentual locations in Novi Sad during heavy rains with a detailed presentation of the pollution of each individual location based on the obtained results on the concentration of heavy metals in plants. Data processing also aims to indicate the difference in the concentration of heavy metals in plant material taken before and immediately after rain, to determine whether the plants present at the analyzed sites absorb heavy metals and in what concentration