Biomonitoring potentially toxic elements in atmospheric particulate matter of greater Dhaka region using leaves of higher plants

In this study, four different plant species, namely Artocarpus heterophyllus , Mangifera indica , Psidium guajava , and Swietenia mahagoni , were selected from seven different locations to assess the feasibility of using them as a cost-effective alternative for biomonitoring air quality. Atmospheric coarse particulate matter (PM 10 ), soil samples, and leaf samples were collected from residential, industrial, and traffic-congested sites located in the greater Dhaka region. The heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the leaves of the different species, PM 10 , and soil samples were analyzed. The highest Pb (718 ng/m 3 ) and Zn (15,956 ng/m 3 ) concentrations were found in PM 10 of Kodomtoli which is an industrial area. On the other hand, the highest Fe (6,152 ng/m 3 ) and Ni (61.1 ng/m 3 ) concentrations were recorded in the PM 10 of Gabtoli, a heavy-traffic area. A significant positive correlation ( r = 0.74; p