16-Year trends in elements of lichens at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Fang

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

To test the applicability of lichens in the biomonitoring of atmospheric elemental deposition in a typical steppe zone of Inner Mongolia, China, six foliose lichens (Physcia aipolia, PA; P. tribacia, PT; Xanthoria elegans, XE; X. mandschurica, XM; Xanthoparmelia camtschadalis, XPC; and Xp. tinctina, XPT) were sampled from the Xilin River Basin, Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China. Twenty-five elements (Al, Ba, Cd, Ce, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Tb, Th, Ti, Tl, V and Zn) in the lichens were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results show that Cd, Pb and Zn were mainly atmospheric in origin, whereas the other elements were predominantly of crustal origin. Compared with other studies, our data were higher in crustal element concentrations and lower in atmospheric element concentrations, matching with the frequent, severe dust storms and road traffic in the area. The elemental concentrations in lichens are both species- and element-specific, highlighting the importance of species selection for biomonitoring air pollution using lichens. We recommend PT, XE, XM and XPT for monitoring atmospheric deposition of crustal elements; XPC and XPT for Cd and Pb; PA for Cd and Zn; and PT for Cd.

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 67%

“…(1) Can lichens distinguish anthropogenic contribution from dust storm inputs? This question has rarely been addressed because most relevant studies have been performed in industrial/urban or remote sites without dust storms 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 . (2) Which lichen should be selected as a biomonitor?…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Lichen elemental composition distinguishes anthropogenic emissions from dust storm inputs and differs among species: Evidence from Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China

Fang

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

“…A comparison with other studies shows that Cd and Zn concentrations in our lichens are at the high literature value range or 2–6-fold documented concentrations 1, 11–28, 35, 37–40 . Only a handful of studies, mostly conducted in industrial or urban regions, have documented higher concentrations of Cd and Zn, which are often 1.5-8-fold our data 7–10 .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

“…Because an EF of <5 is often evidence of crustal input 5, 32 , all these elements are mainly of crustal origin. This conclusion is supported by the Fe:Ti ratios, which if similar between the lichen and soil samples, indicate entrapment of coarse soil particles in lichen thalli 3, 28, 35 . Fe and Ti are highly positively correlated in all lichen and SS data sets (all r > 0.979, p < 0.001), and the Fe:Ti ratios are not significantly different between lichens and SS (Table 1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…Concentrations of all terrigenous elements, barring Ca and Mg, are generally higher than or similar to high literature value ranges from various lichens in diverse ecosystems. For example, concentrations of Fe, Ti, and V are often 2–75-fold, 1.6–55-fold and 2–45-fold literature values outside North China 1, 2, 6–29, 35–40 , respectively. The three metals are similar in concentration to those reported from North China 31–34 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Elemental compositions of lichens from Duolun County, Inner Mongolia, China: Origin, road effect and species difference

Wang²,

Xia

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

To assess the response of lichen elemental compositions to road traffic and species difference in the context of high dust input and anthropogenic emissions, two foliose epiphytic lichens (Phaeophyscia hirtuosa, PHh; Candelaria fibrosa, CAf) were sampled near a road adjacent to Dolon Nor Town (Duolun County, Inner Mongolia, China). Twenty elements (Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Sr, Ti, V and Zn) in lichen and surface soil samples were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The results demonstrate that lichen elemental compositions are highly influenced by both their natural environment and anthropogenic input. Windblown dust associated with sand dunes and degraded/desertified steppes represents the predominant source of lichen elements. Road traffic can enhance the lichen elemental burden by increasing the number of soil particles. Anthropogenic emissions from the town and road traffic have also led to the enrichment of Cd and Zn in lichens. PHh was higher than CAf in concentrations of 14 terrigenous metals. Both lichens are applicable to biomonitoring of atmospheric element deposition and, in most cases, yield comparable results.

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

Multi-matrix environmental monitoring to assess heavy element distribution around a municipal solid waste landfill in Italy

Nannoni

Mazzeo

Santolini

et al. 2017

Multi-matrix environmental monitoring was used to evaluate the influence of a municipal solid waste landfill (Ginestreto, Emilia Romagna, Italy) on the level and distribution of heavy elements in the surrounding environment (air, soil and soil biota). Concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl and Zn were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry in transplanted lichens, topsoils and isopods. The highest accumulation levels found for Cd, Cr, Pb, Sb and Zn in lichens transplanted within the Ginestreto landfill. However, similar concentrations of these heavy elements were also found in lichens exposed in monitoring sites influenced by other man-made sources, such as vehicle traffic and truck movements. The fallout of heavy elements emitted by the landfill had low impact on their levels in topsoil: Cd, Cr, Pb, Sb and Zn showed higher contents in topsoil collected close to the landfill and a slight decrease in concentrations with increasing distance from the landfill. There was no variation in heavy element accumulation in isopods in relation to distance from the landfill. The results of this study indicate that the Ginestreto municipal solid waste landfill had limited impact on the environmental distribution of heavy elements, since accumulation and enrichment in lichens and topsoils were only detected close to the landfill, up to about 100 m from its border