Trace Element Concentrations in Ashes from Various Types of Lichen Biomass Species

Abstract

Lichens are useful as pollution biomonitors because their biomass can strongly concentrate heavy metals, pollutant gases, and radionuclides from aerosol fallout, precipitation, or runoff. Lichens tend to concentrate pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and heavy metals. The results obtained from the analysis of the lichen biomass gave information about the predominant direction of pollutant transportation, while those related to the concentrations found in the air particulate allowed the evaluation of the degree of the local trace metals atmospheric pollution. Sixteen elements (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Na, B and S) were determined in 17 different lichen biomass genera Cladina rangiferina, Cladonia foliacea, Cladonia furcata, Cladonia pyxidata, Cladonia rangiformis, Cladonia stellaris, Dermatocarpon miniatum, Diploschistes scruposus, Evernia mesomorpha, Hypogymnia physodes, Parmelia caperata, Parmelia sulcata, Peltiqera canina, Physcita adcenders, Pseadevernia furfurace, Xanthoria calcicola, and Xanthoria parietina by atomic absorption (AAS) and spectrophotometric methods. The highest K, Ca, Mn, and Hg concentrations were 5125, 4627, 126.4, and 0.72 mg/kg in Xanthoria parietina, respectively. The highest P, B, S, Zn and Pb concentrations were 1561, 6.18, 1226, 82.72, and 16.82 mg/kg in Parmelia sulcata, respectively. The highest Cu, Ni, Cr, and Cd concentrations were 17.53, 1.75, 15.36 and 3.86 mg/kg in Xanthoria calcicola, respectively. The highest Mg, Al, Fe and Na concentrations were 601.8, 951.8, 925.2 and 76.33 mg/kg in Cladonia pyxidata, respectively.