Geogenic and anthropogenic zinc in epiphytic and terricolous lichens in Finland

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Abstract

At 31 sites in Finland the Zn content was determined of the epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl. growing on pine and birch, the terricolous lichen Cladina spp. in pine bark, and the inner part of birch bark. The anomalous contents of Zn in H. physodes on pine and Cladina spp. in soil appeared to be strongly related to sulphide ore deposits. Anthropogenic Zn correlated closely with S and Fe in H. physodes on pine and with Fe in Cladina spp. The binding of geogenic Zn was related to iron hydroxides, and was attributed to the different uptake mechanism of S in these lichens. Elevated values of Zn in H. physodes on birch were due to both geogenic and anthropogenic sources. Zinc in pine bark increased with the Zn content in H. physodes and reached a limiting value.

Introduction

According to Goldberg (1976)the earth's aerosol burden comes partly from the effects of vapour pressure and resulting volatilization of bedrock components, and partly from anthropogenic sources. The metal concentrations in lichens are used to indicate mostly the wet and dry deposition of corresponding concentrations in air. Jenkins and Davies (1966)found that the metal content of Parmelia omphalodes appeared to be dominated by some constant factor that was dependent on variations in heavy metal concentrations or sequence of metal uptake. The metal values between different lichen species within one region correlated better than those between samples of the same species from different regions. Thus, the constant factor involved would be external and regional in nature rather than physiological. Metal contents of lichens do not depend directly on the metal contents of their substrate, as had been previously thought (Jenkins and Davies, 1966).

The aim of the present study was to determine the Zn content of lichens and barks in different parts of Finland and to examine interspecies differences in the Zn contents. Data on the Zn content of the epiphytes Hypogymnia physodes on pine and birch, Pseudevernia furfuracea on pine, and some terricolous lichens of the genus Cladina were investigated in relation to their S and Fe contents. Additionally, the Zn content of H. physodes on birch were examined in relation to its Cl content. Special attention was paid to the geological and geochemical background, and the differentiation of geogenic and anthropogenic Zn. The Zn contents of pine bark and birch inner bark were compared with those of H. physodes on them.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Samples were collected between 1979 and 1981, generally in fair weather in July, at 31 sites in Finland (Fig. 1). Eleven of the sampling sites lie in or close to present national parks. At each site, one sampling area was selected, except at Talvivaara (site 13) and at Vuotso (site 30) where there were three and two sampling areas, respectively. The epiphyte samples were taken at a height of 1.3 m, mainly on the southern side of the trunk, from three pine trees at each sampling area and from

Results

The data for Zn from 154 specimens are summarized in Table 1. Zinc concentrations for lichens and pine bark obtained in this study are similar to those from previous investigations in Finland (Table 2). Zinc contents of Hypogymnia physodes on pine had a statistically highly significant correlation with the S and Fe contents (Fig. 2). Elevated values of Zn in relation to the regression line were observed in the S range of 570–1080 μg g−1 and correspondingly in the Fe range of 690–1490 μg g−1.

Discussion

Zinc is an essential element for plant metabolism and shows the greatest background to anomaly contrast in plants when zinc is present as sphalerite or its immediate alteration products (Kovalevskii, 1979). Anomalous concentrations of Zn related to S gas emissions have been observed in precipitation over deposits of sulphide ores (McCarthy, 1972). Available Zn is accumulated by lichens throughout their lifetime. The relationships among Zn, S, and Fe are consequently due to their common source

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Professor Lauri Kärenlampi for valuable advice and support during this study. The authors wish to express their sincere thanks to M.Sc. Pirjo Halonen for technical assistance and M.Sc. Engineer Anneli Salonen for providing us with information on the emissions of the factories of Siilinjärvi.

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