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| Titel |
The Magnetic Properties of Lichens Exposed Around a Cement Plant in Slovakia |
| VerfasserIn |
Aldo Winkler, Luca Paoli, Anna Guttová, Stefano Loppi, Leonardo Sagnotti |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2015
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 17 (2015) |
| Datensatznummer |
250103135
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2015-2534.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| A cement industry is a source of dust pollution, from quarrying and grinding of the raw
material to kiln operations. Airborne pollutants related to combustion processes are also
emitted, especially during kiln operations and power generation. The use of biomonitors can
provide valuable information about the impact of airborne pollutants released during cement
production and lichens are suitable bioindicators of air pollution, providing reliable
information on the quality of the environment.
We investigated the magnetic hysteresis properties and the elemental concentrations of
epiphytic lichens from selected sites (a cement mill, two quarries, agricultural areas, and
villages) in SW Slovakia; in particular, both transplanted and in situ lichens, bark, soil and
rock samples from the sampling sites, as well as pre-transplant samples have been
characterized. Evernia prunastri transplants, exposed up to 180 days, showed excellent
correlations between the saturation magnetization (Ms) and saturation remanent
magnetization (Mrs) values and the Fe concentrations; the analyzed samples were
magnetically homogeneous, with marked differences only for the sample from a basalt
quarry. Xanthoria parietina autochthonous samples have also a similar magnetic
mineralogy; anyway their Ms and Mrs values were two orders of magnitude higher
with respect to those from the transplants, implying increased concentration of
magnetic particles according to the different lichen species and to the prolonged
exposure.
Magnetic methods can be valuable for discriminating various natural and anthropogenic
sources of dust. In this study, we point out that the magnetic properties may also reflect the
influence of the basalt quarry activity, of the soil and of the bedrock. For a proper evaluation
of the pollution related to human activities, it is thus essential to verify the nature of the
substrate and to select suitable and homogeneous pre/post lichen transplant sites. |
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