Epiphytic lichen Flavoparmelia caperata as a sentinel for trace metal pollution

Abstract

The widely spread lichen specie Flavoparmelia caperata was used in a biomonitoring study for atmospheric trace metal pollution in natural ecosystems in south-eastern Serbia. The concentration and distribution pattern of 21 metals in lichens were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The difference observed between metal deposition in the peripheral and central parts of lichen thalli reflected air quality changes in the last and previous years. These findings were confirmed with principal component analysis. The study demonstrated the accumulation of Ba, K, Mg, Na, Tl and Zn in the peripheral parts of thalli, while As, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, Li, Ni, Pb and Se were concentrated in the central parts of thalli.

Široko rasprostranjena vrsta lišajeva Flavoparmelia caperata je korišćena u biomonitoringu atmosferskog zagađenja metalima u tragovima u prirodnim ekosistemima na jugoistoku Srbije. Koncentracija i distribucija 21 metala u lišajevima je određena atomsko-emisionom spektrometrijom sa induktivno spregnutom plazmom. Primećena razlika u nagomilavanju metala između perifernih i centralnih delova talusa lišajeva je pripisana razlikama u kvalitetu vazduha poslednje i prethodnih godina. Ovi nalazi su potvrđeni analizom glavnih komponenti (PCA). Istraživanje je pokazalo akumuliranje Ba, K, Mg, Na, Tl i Zn u perifernim delovima talusa, odnosno As, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, Li, Ni, Pb i Se u centralnim delovima talusa.