title: Monitoring of traffic-related pollution in a province of central Italy with transplanted lichen Pseudovernia furfuracea.
abstract: The ability of transplanted lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea to biomonitor specific airborne pollutants (heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—PAHs) was investigated at five stations with different traffic densities in Viterbo, Italy. Exposed lichen showed high levels of all analysed pollutants; greatest values were for Zn (147–252 μg/g dw), Pb (24.9–34.6 μg/g dw), fluoranthene (37–107 ng/g dw), pyrene (23–124 ng/g dw). Comparison between contaminants concentration in lichens before and after exposure showed “accumulation” or “severe accumulation” rates in more than 90% of each substance. Besides, Pseudevernia furfuracea accumulated airborne PAHs in a manner that was proportional to traffic density.
authors.affiliation: Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale del Lazio, Sezione di Rieti, Via Salaria per l’Aquila, 8, 02100 Rieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guidotti
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stella
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dominici
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blasi
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Owczarek
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitali
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Protano
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007558:Italy; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions