title: Elemental content of mosses and lichens from Livingston Island (Antarctica) as determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA).
abstract: The total content of 8 major and 32 trace elements in four species of mosses and two of lichens as well as neighboring soil and rocks collected from different places of the Livingston Island Antarctica was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The main goals of the project consisted of evidencing the possible trace of anthropogenic contamination as well as the influence of altitude on the distribution of considered elements. In the absence of a unanimously accepted descriptor, enrichment factor, geo-accumulation, and pollution load indices with respect to soil and rocks were used. The data, interpreted within the model of a reference plant, were compared with previous studies regarding the same organisms in similar geographic and climatological areas. The experimental results evidenced different capacity of mosses and lichens to retain the considered elements, but within experimental uncertainties, no traces of anthropogenic pollution were found. At the same time, it was found that the content of most of the elements decreased with the altitude.
authors.affiliation: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, 6, Joliot Curie str., 141980 Dubna, Russian Federation.|National Research and Development Institute for Electrical Engineering (ICPE-Advanced Research), 30, Splaiul Unirii, 74204, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Otilia A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Culicov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str, Block 23, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yurukova
authors.affiliation: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, 6, Joliot Curie str., 141980 Dubna, Russian Federation. o.duliu@upcmail.ro.|Faculty of Physics, Department of Structure of Matter, Earth, and Atmospheric Physics, and Astrophysics, University of Bucharest, 405, Atomistilor str., P.O. Box MG-11, 077125, Magurele (Ilfov), Romania. o.duliu@upcmail.ro.
authors.forename: Octavian G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Duliu
authors.affiliation: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, 6, Joliot Curie str., 141980 Dubna, Russian Federation.|Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30, Reactorului str., P.O. Box MG-6, 077125, Magurele (Ilfov), Romania.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zinicovscaia
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D044002:Bryophyta; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D062312:Islands; D008011:Lichens; D009501:Neutron Activation Analysis; D012987:Soil; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014131:Trace Elements
keywords: Antarctica; Environmental contamination; Lichens; Livingston Island; Major elements; Mosses; Trace elements