Assessment of lichens as biomonitors of heavy metal pollution in selected mining area, slovakia

Tarawneh A.H. Salamon I. Altarawneh R.M. Mitra J. Gadetskaya A.
2021 University of Sindh

Pakistan Journal of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry
2021 #22 Issue 1 53 - 59 pp.

Lichens have widely been used as bioindicators to reflect the quality of the environment. The present study was conducted to investigate the lichens diversity that grows on the surface of waste heaps from an abandoned old copper mine in Mlynky, Slovakia. In spite of the heavy metal-contaminated environment, we documented twenty species of lichens in the selected site. Taxonomically the most numerous group were represented by Cladonia with seven species, as well other species; namely, Acarospora fuscata, Cetraria islandica, Dermatocarpon miniatum, Hypogymnia physodes, Hypogymnia tubulosa, Lecanora subaurea, Lepraria incana, Physcia aipolia, Porpidia macrocarpa, Pseudevernia furfuracea, Rhizocarpon geographicum and Xanthoria parietina. The content of selected heavy metals (Cu, Fe, and Zn) in the predominant lichens Cetraria islandica, Cladonia digitata, Cladonia pyxidata, Hypogymnia physodes and Pseudevernia furfuracea were analyzed. The highest content of Cu, Fe, and Zn was found in Cladonia pyxidata collected from mine-spoil heaps with concentration 46 ± 4.4, 82.5 ± 22.6, 4.8 ± 1.6 mg/kg, respectively. Interestingly, Cladonia pyxidata collected from the forest surrounding the location showed 15 times lower concentration for Cu. Additionally, similar results were found for Fe and Zn.

Accumulation , Lichens , Metal contamination , Mineral mining , Tolerance , Toxicity

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Tafila Technical University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, P.O.Box 179, Tafila, 66110, Jordan
University of Presov, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Science, Department of Ecology, 01, 17th November St, Presov, 081 16, Slovakia
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Mutah University, Karak, 61710, Jordan
School of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan

Tafila Technical University
University of Presov
Chemistry Department
School of Chemistry and Chemical Technology

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