Using lichen as bioindicator of air pollution

Presented at

JFY 2003

Acid deposition Monitoring and Assessment Third country Training

by :

Dr. Kansri Boonpragob Department of Biology Ramkhamhaeng University Bangkok, Thailand

Path way of pollutants in the atmosphere

SO2 NOx H2SO4 H2O O2 SO2 O2 H2O O2 NOx HNO3 etc.

Source

Transport & Transform

Sink
Ecosystem Plant
Animal Human

Brief history of using lichens as bioindicator of air pollution

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. Other air pollutants, NOx, O3 , heavy metals, HF, organic pollutants, caused disappearance of lichens from cities & industrial areas. * Lichens have been used as bioindicator of air pollution world wide

Background : What are lichens ?

Lichens are epiphyte They live on surfaces of bark, rock, soil and several substrates

* Lichens depend on atmospheric moisture : rain , fog & dew for growth * Pollutants in the air dissolved in atmospheric water are damaged to lichens

* Lichens are sensitive to air pollution

Ramalina farinacea

Lichens are differently sensitivity to air pollution

Foliose: The second

Fruticose: The most sensitive Crustose: The most resistance

Lichens are differently sensitive to air pollution * Fruticose lichens are the most sensitive: * 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

Lichens are differently sensitive to air pollution

Crustose lichens are the most resistance to air pollution Some of them thrive well in the polluted cities These are

* In Europe : Lecanora conizoides

* In Bangkok : 7 species have been recorded

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

There are two alternative methods: 1. Community changes: changes in species composition at different levels of pollution slow response 2. Physiology changes: changes in chlorophyll content & photosynthesis at various air qualities fast response

Lichen Community changes

* 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 * Identify species of the lichens

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

Ash tree Roof

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)

Evernia punestri biomass cover

Lecanora conizaoeides cover

Lichen desert:
Map of the Tyne Valley showing the concentric lichen deserts: on asbestos, on sandstone, and on ash trees.

Ash

s tree

ne sto nd Sa
f Roo

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

Distan ces (miles)

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16.5

14.5

12.5

10.5

9.5

6.5

4.7

1.7

pH

4.2

4.2

4.3

4.3

4.4

4.4

3.9

3.6

3.3

3.6

3.4

3.9

3.4

3.6

3.0

4.0

% cover sensiti ve lichen

66

66

57

54

25

23

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

Sub urban
Rajamongkol Inst. Tech

Bangkok

Urban

Phra tamnak temple, Nakornnayok

Rural

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

Distances from city center (km) Categories Places No. of species

10 Urban

50 Suburban

100 Rural Phra tamnak Temple 20

200 Remote Khao yai National Park 55 (520)

Kasetsart Rajamongkol Univ. Inst. 7 8

Lichens found in polluted cities

Europe
Lecanora conizoides L. dispersa L. erysibe Candelariella aurella

Thai
Dirinaria picta Buelia punctata Laurera bengaulensis Lecanora pallida Trypethelium tropicum Graphis liberta Cryptothecia sp.

Lichens found in polluted cities in England

Lecanora conizaoeides

Lecanora dispersa

Candelariella aurella

Lecanora erysibe

Lichens found in Bangkok

Dirinaria picta Laurera bangaulensis

Buelia punctata

Trypethelium tropicum

Lecanora pallida Graphis liberta Cryptothecia sp.

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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 SO2 concentration

Ambient SO2 concentration and air quality index as indicates by presences of lichen communities in England (Hawksworth and Ross, 1970)
Zone SO2 (g m-3) 0 1 2 3 4 ? > 170 ~ 150 ~ 125 ~ 70 Epiphytes absent Pleurococcus viridis present but confined to the base Plerococcus viridis extends up the trunk, Lecanora conizaeoides present but confined to the base Lecanora conizaeoides extends up the trunk; Leparia incana become frequent on the base 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 Hypogymnia physoides, P.saxatilis, P. glabratula, P. subrudecta, Parmeliopsis ambigua, Lecanora chlarotera, Calicium viride, Leparia, candelaris, Pertusaria amara, Ramalina farinacea, Evernia prunastri Parmelia caperata, rich in species of Pertusaria, Parmelia tiliacea, Graphis elegans, Pseudovernia furfuracea, Atectoria fuscescens Lichens/ Epiphytes

~ 60

~ 50

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

Zone

SO2 (g m-3)

Lichens/Epiphytes Parmelia caperata, P. revoluta, Usnea subfloridana, Rinodena roboris, Arthonia impolita Usnea ceratina, Parmelia perlata, P. reticulata, Rinodina robaria, Normandina pulchella, U. rubigenea Lobaria pulmonaria, L. amplissima, Pachyphiale cornea, Dimerella lutea or Usnea florida with crustose > 25 species L. amplissima, L. scorbiculata, Sticta limbata, Panaria spp., Usnea articulata, U. filipendula, Teloschistes flavicans, abundant

7 8

~ 40 ~ 30

~ 30

10

~ pure

porter Lichens & air pollution British museum

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Identify lichen species

Assessing the effects of air pollution on community

change need to identify lichens at the species level Taxonomy of lichens is fundamental back ground needed Lichens are identified based on morphology, anatomy and chemical substances

Assessing the effects of air pollution from physiological & biochemical changes
Degradation of chlorophyll Photosynthesis decline Provide faster responses to air pollution and acid deposition These are warning signals before severe damages occur, which are difficult to correct

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Lichen composes of algae & fungi living in symbiosis Algae Fungi

Lichen

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

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

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How air pollution damages plants and lichens

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

Comparing leaves damage by SO2 and normal

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

Insight of how air pollution damages plants and lichens (at cellular level )
H2SO4 & HNO3 enter the leaf via opening stomata

Acid & heavy metals destroy chlorophyll

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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)

Pollutants

Leaf
Lichen

Cortex: fungal layer Algal layer Medulla

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 & phaeophytin and mixture of Chl. & Phaeophytin in DMSO. Prepared from the lichen Ramalina menziesii.

Standard curve for estimation the degradation of chlorophyll into phaeophytin. Prepared from the lichen Ramalina nervulosa from Khao yai National Park
Mix Ch 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Ph 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

% Phaeophytin as % Chl. + Phaeo.

100 80 60 40 20 0 0.500 0.700 0.900 OD 433/415 1.100 1.300 y = -122.91x + 150.26 R = 0.97
2

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Lichens & Air pollution in Los Angeles

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

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

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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Lichens & Air pollution in Los Angeles

SO4 2- and PO43- 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).

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Example of using chlorophyll degration to 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 & phaeophytin assessing air quality (In 2002)
Measured chlorophyll & phaeophytin in lichens along transect Between Bangkok Khao Yai National Park
A Bangkok B 50 km C 100 km D KYNP, 200 km

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

Distances west of town center (miles)

4.5

6.25

21

S content 3290 2870 1420 569 225 (ppm)

Accumulation of Pb in lichen thalli and photosynthetic responses

Distances from motor way (km) Pb content (g g-1) Pn (mg CO2 g-1h-1)

Lichens Evernia prunestri

(%)

600 15

33 283 65 488 60 570

4.12 2.36 2.08 0.54 1.10 0.60

100 57 100 26 100 54

Parmelia physoides Parmelia caperata

600 15 600 15

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Lichen biodiversity index & lung cancer

Conclution

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.

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Thank you for your attention

www.ru.ac.th/lichen

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