DOI: 10.35229/jaes.1994576 ISSN: 2548-0006

Heavy Metal Biomonitoring Study with Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr. Lichen in Çanakkale Province (Türkiye) [*]

Sevda Sümer Aydın, Atila Yıldız
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This study set out to biologically monitor atmospheric pollution and to generate a pollution map for the Gelibolu and Eceabat districts of Çanakkale Province. The foliose lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr., which is highly tolerant of atmospheric heavy-metal pollution and readily accumulates such metals within its thallus, was employed as a bioindicator, and samples collected from two stations were analysed. ICP-MS analysis revealed the presence of several pollutants at both stations. At Gelibolu, the elements present at the highest concentrations were aluminium (Al, 5238.48 ppm), iron (Fe, 5476.27 ppm) and zinc (Zn, 114.82 ppm), whereas Eceabat exhibited a heavier pollution load, with Al at 7656.24 ppm, Fe at 7821.38 ppm and Zn at 123.23 ppm. Cadmium (Cd) was measured at 0.14 ppm in both districts, a value close to the international reference of 0.12 ppm. Overall, the accumulation of heavy metals (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Pb) was more pronounced at Eceabat than at Gelibolu. To assess the physiological impact of these metals, chlorophyll degradation was examined: at Gelibolu the chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b contents were 3.057 and 0.480, respectively, whereas at Eceabat they were 2.786 and 0.500. The lower chlorophyll a content at Eceabat indicates that the greater heavy-metal burden of this district imposes physiological stress on the photosynthetic apparatus of the lichen. In conclusion, the analyses demonstrate atmospheric pollution in both districts, with a distinctly greater pressure at Eceabat, and confirm that heavy-metal stress diminishes the photosynthetic capacity of lichens and causes physiological damage.

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