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Using lichen as bioindicator of air pollution

Presented atJFY 2003

Acid deposition Monitoring and AssessmentThird country Training

by :Dr. Kansri BoonpragobDepartment of Biology

Ramkhamhaeng UniversityBangkok, Thailand

Path way of pollutants in the atmosphere

O2

O2

O2

SourceTransport & Transform Sink

Ecosystem

Plant

Animal

Human

SO2

SO2

H2O H2ONOx

NOx

H2SO4HNO3 etc.

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Brief history of using lichens as bioindicator of air pollution

Other air pollutants, NOx, O3 , heavy metals, HF, organic pollutants, caused disappearance of lichens from cities & industrial areas.

In 1866 it was noted that lichens disappeared from Jardin de Luxembourg near Paris.

* Smoke from burning of coal was the course.

* SO2 from burning coal damaged to lichens.

* Lichens have been used as bioindicatorof air pollution world wide

Background : What are lichens ?• Lichens are epiphyte • They live on surfaces of bark,

rock, soil and several substrates

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* Lichens depend on atmospheric moisture : rain , fog & dew for growth

* Lichens are sensitive to air pollution

* Pollutants in the air dissolved in atmospheric water are damaged to lichens

Ramalina farinacea

Lichens are differently sensitivity to air pollution

Fruticose:

The most sensitive

Foliose:

The second

Crustose:The most resistance

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* Fruticose lichens are the most sensitive:

Lichens are differently sensitive to air pollution

* They are the first group to disappear from polluted areas

Lichens are differently sensitive to air pollution

* Foliose lichens are the second group to disappear from polluted area

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• Some of them thrive well in the polluted citiesThese are

Lichens are differently sensitive to air pollution

Crustose lichens are the most resistance to air pollution

* In Bangkok : 7 species have been recorded

* In Europe : Lecanora conizoides

How to use lichens as bioindicator of air pollution & acid deposition

2. Physiology changes: changes in chlorophyll content & photosynthesis at various air qualities

fast response

There are two alternative methods:

1. Community changes: changes in species composition at different levels of pollution

slow response

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Lichen Community changes

* Identify species of the lichens

* Change in species composition of lichens at different levels of pollution

* Explore lichens at various distances i.e. 1 km, 5 km, 20 km, 50, 100, 300 etc km around sources of pollution : cities, industrial plants

Transect showing that the number of lichens growing on the tops of sandstone walls, on asbestos roofs, and on ash trees decline as

New Castle is approached from the west (From Gilbert 1965)

Sand stone

RoofAsh tree

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Relative cover and biomass of two lichen species on ash trees along an east –west transect to the west of New Castle, England (From Gilbert, 1969)

biomass

cover

Evernia punestriLecanora conizaoeidescover

Lichen desert:Map of the Tyne Valley showing the concentric lichen deserts:

on asbestos, on sandstone, and

on ash trees.

Ash trees

Sand stone

Roof

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00000000112232554576666%

coversensiti

ve lichen

4.03.03.63.43.93.43.63.33.63.94.44.44.34.34.24.2pH

011.734.766.57899.510.512.514.516.519Distan

ces

(miles)

pH from bark of ash trees and lichen covers along distance from the city of New Castle to the west

A transect from Bangkok to Khao yai National Park shows four lichen collecting localities

BangkokUrban

RajamongkolInst. Tech

Sub urban

Phra tamnaktemple, Nakornnayok

Rural

Khao yaiNational Park

Remote

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A transect from Bangkok to Khao yai National Park to explore lichen communities on 20 trees at each collecting site

55 (520)2087No. of species

Khao yaiNational

Park

Phra tamnakTemple

RajamongkolInst.

KasetsartUniv.Places

RemoteRuralSuburbanUrbanCategories

2001005010Distances from city

center (km)

Lichens found in polluted cities

EuropeLecanora conizoidesL. dispersaL. erysibeCandelariella aurella

ThaiDirinaria pictaBuelia punctataLaurera bengaulensisLecanora pallidaTrypethelium tropicumGraphis libertaCryptothecia sp.

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Lichens found in polluted cities in England

Lecanora conizaoeides

Candelariella aurella

Lecanora dispersa

Lecanora erysibe

Lichens found in Bangkok

Buelia punctata

Dirinaria picta

Laurera bangaulensis

Cryptothecia sp.

Lecanora pallida

Trypethelium tropicum

Graphis liberta

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Species composition of lichen changes from the city to rural area

Transect from inner city to suburb and rural area indicated that number of species increase with distance away from the city

No. of species related to SO2concentration

Ambient SO2 concentration and air quality index as indicates by presences of lichen communities in England (Hawksworth and Ross, 1970)

Parmelia caperata, rich in species of Pertusaria, Parmelia tiliacea, Graphis elegans, Pseudovernia furfuracea, Atectoria fuscescens

6 ~ 50

Hypogymnia physoides, P.saxatilis, P. glabratula, P. subrudecta, Parmeliopsis ambigua, Lecanora chlarotera, Calicium viride, Leparia, candelaris, Pertusaria amara, Ramalina farinacea, Evernia prunastri

5 ~ 60

Hypogymnia physoides and/or Parmelia saxatilis, or P. sulcata appear on the bases but not extend up the trunks.Lecidia scalaris, Lecanora expellens and Chaenotheca ferruginea

4 ~ 70

Lecanora conizaeoides extends up the trunk; Leparia incanabecome frequent on the base

3 ~ 125

Plerococcus viridis extends up the trunk, Lecanora conizaeoides present but confined to the base

2 ~ 150Pleurococcus viridis present but confined to the base1 > 170Epiphytes absent0 ?

Lichens/ EpiphytesZone SO2 (µg m-3)

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L. amplissima, L. scorbiculata, Sticta limbata, Panaria spp., Usnea articulata, U. filipendula, Teloschistes flavicans, abundant

10 ~ pure

Lobaria pulmonaria, L. amplissima, Pachyphialecornea, Dimerella lutea or Usnea florida with crustose > 25 species

9 ~ 30

Usnea ceratina, Parmelia perlata, P. reticulata, Rinodina robaria, Normandina pulchella, U. rubigenea

8 ~ 30

Parmelia caperata, P. revoluta, Usnea subfloridana, Rinodena roboris, Arthonia impolita

7 ~ 40

Lichens/EpiphytesZone SO2 (µg m-3)

Ambient SO2 concentration and air quality index as indicates by presences of lichen communities in England

(Hawksworth and Ross, 1970)

ภาพ porter Lichens & air pollution

ของ British museum

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•• Lichens are identified based on morphology, Lichens are identified based on morphology, anatomy and chemical substances anatomy and chemical substances

Identify lichen species

••Assessing the effects of air pollution on community Assessing the effects of air pollution on community change need to identify lichens at the species levelchange need to identify lichens at the species level

•• Taxonomy of lichens is fundamental back ground Taxonomy of lichens is fundamental back ground neededneeded

Assessing the effects of air pollution Assessing the effects of air pollution from from physiological & biochemical physiological & biochemical changeschanges

These are warning signals before These are warning signals before severe damages occur, which are severe damages occur, which are difficult to correct difficult to correct

••Degradation of chlorophyllDegradation of chlorophyll•• Photosynthesis declinePhotosynthesis decline

Provide faster responses to air Provide faster responses to air pollution and acid depositionpollution and acid deposition

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Lichen composes of algae & fungi living in symbiosis

LichenLichen

AlgaeFungi

* Fungal mycelium assists in absorbing atmospheric moisture for algal photosynthesis and provides protection to algal from intense light & UV.

Lichens do not harm the substrates they attacked because they use simple inorganic matter (CO2 , H2O) to produce organic matter.

* Algae can photosynthesis produces organic matter.

6CO2+ 12H2O + light chlorophyll C6 H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O

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How air pollution damages plants and lichens

If chlorophyll is destroyed by acid pollutants, plant produces less 0. M. → reduce growth, lost protective function against insect & pest → death

Chlorophyll is in important organelle function in absorbing light energy for photosynthesis producing organic matter.

Comparing leaves damage by SOComparing leaves damage by SO22 and normaland normal

Acid & heavy metals destroy chlorophyll

Insight of how air pollution damages plants and lichens (at cellular level )

H2SO4 & HNO3 enter the leaf via opening stomata

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Lichens are advantage over vascular plants as bioindicator of air pollution: because they have no wax & cuticle to protect cells (inner structure)

Cortex: fungal layer

Algal layer

Medulla

Leaf

Lichen

Pollutants

Absorbtion spectrum of chlorophyll and phaeophytin. Chlorophyll has maximum absorption at 433 and 665 nm. Acid causes chlorophyll degraded in to phaeophytin, which maximum absorption shift to 415, and decline at 665 nm.

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Absorbtion spetrum of chlorophyll & phaeophytinand mixture of Chl. & Phaeophytin in DMSO.Prepared from the lichen Ramalina menziesii.

y = -122.91x + 150.26

R2 = 0.97

0

20

40

60

80

100

0.500 0.700 0.900 1.100 1.300OD 433/415

% Ph

aeop

hytin

as %

Chl.

+ P

haeo

.

Standard curve for estimation the degradation of chlorophyll into phaeophytin.Prepared from the lichen Ramalina nervulosa from Khao yai National Park

Mix

PhCh

0100

1090

2080

3070

4060

5050

6040

7030

8020

9010

1000

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In summer chlorophyll at the polluted site declined and

phaeophytin increased. Finally, the lichens at the polluted site

die after chlorophyll completely degraded. In the wet season chlorophyll of the lichens at

both sites remained.

The lichen Ramalina menziesiiwas transplanted from a forest out side San Diego (control site) to Los Angeles (polluted site).

Lichens & Air pollution in Los Angeles

Chlorophyll content and percent phaeophytin from the transplanted lichens at both sites were measured.

Lichens & Air pollution in Los Angeles

NO3- and NH4

+ leached from the lichen Ramalina menziesii collected from the control site (outside San Diego) and polluted

site in Los Angeles

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SO42- and PO4

3- leached from the lichen Ramalina menziesii collected from the control site (outside San Diego) and polluted

site in Los Angeles

Lichens & Air pollution in Los Angeles

Chlorophyll content of the lichen Ramalina menziesii

at the polluted site had high correlation with the amount of NO3

- accumulated in the thallus (r = 0.94).

Chlorophyll content at the control site correlated with

Na (r = 0.65).

Lichens & Air pollution in Los Angeles

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Example of using chlorophyll degrationto assess air pollution

in Bangkok(in 1988)

Transplanted lichens from Kao Yai National Park to

- Bangkok (polluted site)

- Bang pa – in (control site)

Meansured chlorophyll & % phaeophytin

Example of Using

chlorophyll &

phaeophytinassessing air quality(In 2002)

Measured chlorophyll & phaeophytin in lichens along transect Between Bangkok Khao Yai National Park

A Bangkok B

50 km

C100 km

DKYNP, 200 km

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S content of Parmelia saxatilis from different part of the Tyne valley

225569142028703290S content (ppm)

2186.254.54

Distances west of town center(miles)

Accumulation of Pb in lichen thalli and photosynthetic responses

540.6057015

1001.1060600

260.5448815

1002.0865600Parmelia

physoides

572.3628315

1004.1233600

(%)Pn

(mg CO2 g-1h-1)Pb content

(µg g-1)

Distances from motor way (km)

Lichens

Evernia prunestri

Parmelia caperata

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Lichen biodiversity index & lung cancer

Lichen are efficient indicator of air pollution & acid deposition

They are less cost comparing with expensive equipments.

Appropriate technique should be developed especially in developing countries to use lichens as bio-monitoring of air pollution

Lichens provide warning signal before severe damages occur on ecosystem & health.

Conclution

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Thank you for your

attention

www.ru.ac.th/lichen