Biomonitoring of air pollutants by using lichens (Evernia prunastri) in areas between Kenitra and Mohammedia cities in Morocco.

Abstract

In this study, Evernia prunastri, a lichen growing in its natural habitat in Morocco was analysed for the concentration of five heavy metals (Fe, Pb, Zn, Cu and Cr) from eleven sites between Kenitra and Mohammedia cities. The control site was Dar Essalam, an isolated area with low traffic density and dense vegetation. In the investigated areas, the concentration of heavy metals was correlated with vehicular traffic, industrial activity and urbanization. The total metal concentration was highest in Sidi Yahya, followed by Mohammedia and Bouznika. The coefficient of variation was higher for Pb and lower for Cu, Zn and Fe. The concentrations of most heavy metals in the thalli differed significantly between sites (p<0.01). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a significant correlation between heavy metal accumulation and atmospheric purity index. This study demonstrated also that the factors most strongly affecting the lichen flora were traffic density, the petroleum industry and paper factories in these areas. Overall, these results suggest that the index of atmospheric purity and assessment of heavy metals in lichen thalli are good indicators of the air quality at the studied sites.

Lichens and Bromeliads as Bioindicators of Heavy Metal Deposition in Ecuador

“…Previous research has found a high correlation between heavy metals in air and automobile traffic in the urban parts of Loja [12,46]. A similar pattern has been found in many other areas of the world, that is, that air pollution caused by heavy metal deposition generally tends to be higher in urban zones with more traffic, than in rural areas with less traffic [1,16,26,33,51] The accumulation of Cd, Cu, Pb and Mn in Parmotrema arnoldii and Tillandsia usneoides tissues showed a similar pattern, with more heavy metals in urban areas than in nearby forest controls. The strong enrichment of heavy metals at the urban sites of Loja is not unexpected, particularly enrichment of lead from particle deposition as a result of an increased volume of traffic [12,46].…”

“…This is possibly a result of collecting the specimens along bus lines. Similarly, Giordano et al [61], Aprile et al [33], and Rhzaoui et al [26] also found zinc deposition in lichens typically related to increases of traffic along traffic routes serving inner city urban areas. In addition, several studies found higher concentrations of zinc in specimens of genus Parmotrema at urban zones with high levels of vehicular traffic [21,33,35,50].…”

“…Lichens, particularly in the family Parmeliaceae (e.g., Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. [23][24][25][26], Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale [27,28], and Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl. [29]), and species in the genus Parmotrema A. Massal.…”

Biological Effects of Air Pollution on Sensitive Bioindicators: A Case Study from Milan, Italy

“…The lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. was chosen for this study owing to its sensitivity to air pollution and its great capacity to bioaccumulate PTEs, which made this species widely used in biomonitoring surveys [19,24,25]. To obtain a homogeneous pool of samples, the transplant technique was selected.…”

Exposure to Air Pollution from Road Traffic and Incidence of Respiratory Diseases in the City of Meknes, Morocco

“…According to a WHO study on urban air pollution, all the studied Moroccan cities exceed the recommended thresholds for suspended particles (PM10 and PM2.5), namely Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangier, Meknes, Fez, Sale, and Safi [12]. This finding has also been raised in different urban areas of the Kingdom by studies that have assessed the quality of urban air, focusing on various pollutants [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Thus, the eco-epidemiological studies Casa-Airpol [24] and Mohammadia-Airpol [25], have revealed the possible health impacts caused by this form of pollution.…”