title: Assessment of human health risk related to metals by the use of biomonitors in the province of Córdoba, Argentina.
abstract: The evaluation of metal contents in the environment is of vital importance for the assessment of human exposure. Thus the species Usnea amblyoclada, Ramalina celastri and Tillandsia capillaris were tested as bioaccumulators of transition metals in the urban area of Córdoba city, Argentina. The level of metals on biomonitors was compared to that of total deposition samples. All three species discriminated zones within the urban area of Córdoba city with different pollution levels; they revealed high levels of Zn in the downtown area and confirmed high levels of some transition metals in an industrial area. The correlation analysis revealed that the lichen R. celastri had the highest correlation rates with total deposition samples, suggesting it is a valuable biomonitor of atmospheric pollution. A significant relationship was also observed between respiratory diseases in children and the contents of metal accumulated in R. celastri and T. capillaris, indicating their usefulness when assessing human exposure to metals.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, IMBIV/CONICET-UNC, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, X5016GCA Córdoba, Argentina. hcarreras@com.uncor.edu
authors.forename: Hebe A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Eduardo D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Wannaz
authors.forename: María L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pignata
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001118:Argentina; D002947:Cities; D003035:Cobalt / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry*; D008345:Manganese / Q000032:analysis; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D031232:Tillandsia; D020949:Usnea; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D007854:Lead; D003035:Cobalt; D008345:Manganese; D003300:Copper; D009532:Nickel; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc