⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic study on the barks of several three species grown in Lanzhou, China

Using ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer effect, the chemical states of iron components were investigated for the barks of Platycladus orientalis, Cedrus deodara and Platanus acerifolia sampled from Lanzhou City, China. All bark samples showed two overlapping doublets with large and small quadruple splitting. Only Platycladus orientalis's barks exhibited one sextet. Based on Mössbauer parameters, they were attributed to paramagnetic ferrous, paramagnetic ferric and magnetic iron, respectively. For the sampling site which is about 6 kilometers from Lanzhou Steel Factory, the ratio of ferrous to ferric was higher in the sample of Platanus acerifolia's barks, whereas the barks of Platycladus orientalis and Cedrus deodara gave similar values of this ratio. Platycladus orientalis was the most effective in accumulating iron complexes in barks among the three trees. Platanus acerifolia's barks sampled at Lanzhou Steel Factory's area exhibited higher absolute intensities of iron components and lower ration of ferrous to ferric, indicating that industrial air pollution is a contributing factor in accumulating iron compounds in the tree barks of this region.