Air quality biomonitoring of trace elements in the metropolitan area of Huancayo, Peru using transplanted Tillandsia capillaris as a biomonitor

Abstract The air quality and distribution of trace elements in a metropolitan area of the Peruvian Andes were evaluated using transplanted epiphytic Tillandsia capillaris as biomonitors. Biomonitors were collected from the non-contaminated area and exposed to five sites with different types of contamination for three months in 2017. After exposure, the content of twenty-one elements were determined by ICP-MS analysis. Datasets were evaluated by one-way ANOVA, exposed-to-baseline (EB), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Results showed significant differences among sampling sites for several elements. According to EF ratios for Ba, Cr, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn EB ratios value greater than 1.75 were found around urban areas, indicating anthropogenic influence, which can be attributed to vehicular sources. The highest values of As and Cd were found in areas of agricultural practices, therefore their presence could be related to the employment of agrochemicals (pesticides, herbicides, and phosphate fertilizers). HCA shows that most elements come from vehicular sources and lower from agricultural and natural sources.