Lichen biomonitoring of airborne trace elements in the industrial-urbanized area of eastern algiers (Algeria)
Résumé
This study established a comprehensive picture of airborne metal pollution in the industrial urbanized area of the East of Algiers (Algeria). Thalli of the epiphytic lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea were transplanted from a remote unpolluted forest (Theniet El-Had) to eighteen biomonitoring sites in the Rouiba−Reghaia region exhibiting contrasting anthropogenic activities, including the wooded Reghaia Nature Reserve. Thirty-three metals and rare earths, and Br in lichen thalli were determined after 3 months exposure by X-ray fluorescence and instrumental neutron activation analysis. All biomonitored element concentrations exhibited dramatic increases compared to the control region, and calculation of contamination factor index unveiled that Sb, Pb, Ti, V, Ce, La, Ga, Cr, Cs, Cu, and Cd had the highest contamination levels in almost all the study sites. The degree of ambient pollution was assessed using enrichment factor, pollution load index, cluster analysis, and principal components analysis. A multiple correspondence analysis showed Pb, Sb, and Ga to be highly enriched with heavy contamination in all study sites, even in the Reghaia Nature Reserve.
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