Analysis of heavy metals in atmospheric particulates in relation to their bioaccumulation in explanted Pseudevernia furfuracea thalli

Lichens explants and airborne particulates were analysed for Cr, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Fe, Mn and Cu content in a rural site in the province of Vercelli (Piedmont, N. Italy). Thalli of the fruticose lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea were collected from an uncontaminated area and exposed for one year using tw...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental monitoring and assessment 2001-07, Vol.69 (3), p.205-220
Main Authors: BARI, Antonella, ROSSO, Alessandra, MINCIARDI, Maria Rita, TROIANI, Francesco, PIERVITTORI, Rosanna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Air Pollutants - analysis
Air Pollutants - pharmacokinetics
Air pollution
Airborne particulates
Analysis methods
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Applied sciences
Atmospheric pollution
Bioaccumulation
Biological and medical sciences
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi
Environmental Exposure
Environmental Monitoring
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Heavy metals
Italy, Piedmont, Vercelli
Lichens
Lichens - chemistry
Metal concentrations
Metals
Metals, Heavy - analysis
Metals, Heavy - pharmacokinetics
Pollution
Pseudevernia furfuracea
Rural areas
Wind
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Lichens explants and airborne particulates were analysed for Cr, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Fe, Mn and Cu content in a rural site in the province of Vercelli (Piedmont, N. Italy). Thalli of the fruticose lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea were collected from an uncontaminated area and exposed for one year using two different techniques. Particulates were collected using a continuously operating particulate sampler set up near the lichens explanted throughout the experiment survey. The results confirm both the importance of assessing contamination in rural areas corroborated by the analysis of the presence of the heavy metals in particulates in relation to the main wind directions and the validity of this lichen as biomonitor of airborne metal pollution, although meaningful differences were pointed out between the two different techniques of exposure. The significant correlation between most of the metals accumulated by lichens and the metal air concentrations shows a good evidence of their ability to represent atmospheric contamination.
ISSN:0167-6369
1573-2959
DOI:10.1023/A:1010757924363