title: Assessment of atmospheric pollution in the vicinity of a tin and lead industry using lichen species Canoparmelia texana.
abstract: This paper examines the viability of using Canoparmelia texana lichen species as a bioindicator of air pollution by radionuclides and rare earth elements (REEs) in the vicinity of a tin and lead industry. The lichen and soil samples were analyzed for uranium, thorium and REEs by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The radionuclides (226)Ra, (228)Ra and (210)Pb were determined either by Gamma-ray spectrometry (GRS) (soils) or by radiochemical separation followed by gross alpha and beta counting using a gas flow proportional counter (lichens). The lichens samples concentrate radionuclides (on the average 25-fold higher than the background for this species) and REEs (on the average 10-fold higher), therefore they can be used as a fingerprint of contamination by the operation of the tin industry.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Radiometria Ambiental, Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, São Paulo, Brazil. lucioleo@ipen.br
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leonardo
authors.forename: Barbara Paci
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Mazzilli
authors.forename: Sandra Regina
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Damatto
authors.forename: Mitiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saiki
authors.forename: Sonia Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Barros de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D001938:Brazil; D004603:Elements, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry*; D008669:Metallurgy; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D004603:Elements, Radioactive; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive