Deposition of long-range transported particulate matter on the needle surfaces of Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) grown in Nagasaki located in the western region of Japan

To characterize the deposition of long-range transported particulate matter (PM) on the foliar surface of Japanese forest trees, we periodically collected the PM deposited on the needle surface of mature Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) grown in the mountainous area of Nagasaki located in the western region of Japan from 24 April to 30 October, 2017. Metal element compositions and concentration ratios along with the ratios of Pb isotopes in the PM were analyzed. The total amount of metal elements (Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As and Pb) on the needle surfaces was relatively low during summer and autumn but was high during the spring when there was high atmospheric concentration of PM with diameter less than 2.5 μm due to influence of outflow from Asian continent. The seasonal variations in the amounts of less-abundant metal elements (Al, V, Ni, Cu, Zn, As and Pb) exhibited similar trends. The Pb amount varied with Zn amount at a constant ratio of 0.4, which was close to the Pb /Zn ratio of PM in China. Most of the Pb isotope ratios ( 207 Pb/ 206 Pb and 208 Pb / 206 Pb) in the PM were close to those observed in the Chinese coal. Therefore, Pb on the needle could have originated from the coal combustion in China. The enrichment factor (EF) of Pb ranged from 650 to 2270, and was significantly correlated with the 207 Pb / 206 Pb ratios, suggesting that components having EFs of greater than 650 could have originated from anthropogenic source. The amount of Pb significantly correlated with that of Ni, Cu, Zn, and As, which showed EFs more than 650. These results indicate that the long-range transported PM, including Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, and As, originated from the anthropogenic sources in China, and deposited on the needle of C. obtusa grown in Nagasaki