Comparison among air pollutants, meteorological conditions and some chemical parameters in the transplanted lichen Usnea amblyoclada

The response of Usnea amblyoclada (Mull. Arg.) Zahlbr. to real concentrations of atmospheric pollutants measured by two automatic monitoring stations, was studied in Cordoba City, Argentina. The influence of different weather conditions on the biomonitor's response was also assessed. The concentration of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, hydroperoxy-conjugated dienes, and malondialdehyde were quantified in lichen thalli collected from a clean area and in transplanted thalli after 1 month of exposure in an urban area, from April to October, 1996. The dry weight/fresh weight, chlorophyll b/chlorophyll a and phaeophytin a/chlorophyll a ratios were also calculated. Data sets were evaluated by two-way analysis of variance and correlation analysis. It was observed that hydroperoxy-conjugated dienes, malondialdehyde, chlorophylls, and pigment degradation increase during wintertime, when higher levels of suspended particles, non-methane hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide and ozone were also measured. These findings would be connected mainly with meteorological conditions, as most pollutants did not exceed prescribed threshold levels. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.