title: Elemental composition of Usnea sp lichen from Potter Peninsula, 25 de Mayo (King George) Island, Antarctica.
abstract: Several pollutants, which include metals, are present in the Antarctic atmosphere, snow, marine and terrestrial organisms. This work reports the elements incorporated by Usnea sp thalli in Potter Peninsula, 25 de Mayo (King George) Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica. Geological origin was analyzed as possible sources of elements. For this purpose, correlations were done using a geochemical tracer, principal component analysis and enrichment factors were computed. Lithophile elements from particulate matter were present in most of the sampling sites. Bromine, Se and Hg showed the highest enrichment factors suggesting other sources than the particulate matter. Mercury values found in Usnea sp were in the same range as those reported for Deception Island (South Shetlands) and remote areas from the Patagonia Andes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche (CAB), Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA), Av. Bustillo km 9.5, (8400) Bariloche, Argentina. Electronic address: bubachd@cab.cnea.gov.ar.
authors.forename: Débora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bubach
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche (CAB), Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA), Av. Bustillo km 9.5, (8400) Bariloche, Argentina. Electronic address: spcatan@cab.cnea.gov.ar.
authors.forename: Soledad Perez
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Catán
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Ecofisiología y Ecotoxicología, Instituto Antártico Argentino DNA, Cerrito 1248 (1010) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: carladifonzo@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Fonzo
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Ecofisiología y Ecotoxicología, Instituto Antártico Argentino DNA, Cerrito 1248 (1010) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Argentina JF Kennedy, Sarmiento 4562, (1197), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: lapadop@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dopchiz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche (CAB), Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA), Av. Bustillo km 9.5, (8400) Bariloche, Argentina. Electronic address: arribere@cab.cnea.gov.ar.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arribére
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Ecofisiología y Ecotoxicología, Instituto Antártico Argentino DNA, Cerrito 1248 (1010) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Argentina JF Kennedy, Sarmiento 4562, (1197), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: martinansaldo@gmail.com.ar.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ansaldo
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D020949:Usnea / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D052638:Particulate Matter; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Biomonitor; Lichen; Marine airborne; Pollution; South shetlands