Use of passive biomonitoring to evaluate the environmental impact of emissions from cement industries in Sergipe State, northeast Brazil

Measurements of trace elements in tree bark were used to investigate pollution caused by emissions from two cement production plants in the vicinity of the cities of Laranjeiras and Nossa Senhora do Socorro (Sergipe State, northeast Brazil). Samples of tree bark were collected across a wide area within the municipalities of Machado, Estivas, and Estivas II, as well as close to the two cement plants. Analyses were carried out by EDXRF to determine the concentrations of Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, S, Sr, and Zn in the tree barks. The resulting data were used to generate distribution maps of element concentrations, which enabled identification of pollution hotspots. The results indicated that emissions from the cement industry affect the region as a whole, as demonstrated by accumulation of trace elements in the tree barks. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.