| EIA Home | EIA 2003 | Subscription |
International Society for Environmental Information Sciences
Environmental Informatics Archives
ISSN 1811-0231 / ISEIS Publication Series Number P002
Copyright © 2003 ISEIS. All rights reserved.
Guest
Paper EIA03-064, Volume 1 (2003), Pages 614-618 = complimentary
Using of Lichen as a Bio-monitor of Atmosphere Pollution by Uranium
A. V. Golubev1*, V. N. Golubeva1, N. G. Krylov1, V. F. Kuznetsova1, S. V. Mavrin1, A. Y. Aleinikov1, W. Hoppes2* and K. Surano2
1. Russian Federal Nuclear Center-VNIIEF, 37, Mira prospect, Sarov, Nizhegorodsky region, 607190 Russia.
2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, CA 94551 P.O. Box 808, L-629, USA. *Corresponding author: hoppes1@llnl.gov.
Abstract
In bio-monitoring practice lichens are used for the assessment of atmosphere pollution by heavy metals and radionuclide. However in literature there were published dates on usage of lichens for the qualitative atmosphere control. There are presented in the paper the results of the study to apply lichens as a quantitative uranium bio-monitor of atmosphere contamination. The observations were carried out during 2.5 years in natural environment. Two experimental sites were used: one was in vicinity of an emission source of uranium and another - at a distance. Air and lichens were sampled monthly on the sites. Lichen species Hypogimnia physodes was used as a basic bio-indicator. Lichen samples were sampled from various trees: birch tree, aspen tree, pine tree and linden tree at the level of 1.5 m above the ground. Air sampling was performed using air monitoring stations. The content of uranium in lichen and air samples was measured with mass-spectrometry followed by preliminary extraction of uranium. There are presented the results of uranium measurements both in atmosphere and in lichens obtained during three years of observations. Based on observed data the regression relationships between the content of uranium in lichens and in the atmosphere were determined.
Keywords: Atmosphere, bio-monitor, contamination, correlations, lichens, uranium