PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 14: Toxicology and Disease.
Tuesday, August 3 Presentations from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall A 1.
Lolium perenne as a biomonitor of atmospheric heavy metal emissions.
Rey Asensio, Ana Isabel*,1, Gonzalez Sotelo, Lourdes *,1, Carballeira Ocaņa, Alejo*,1, 1 University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruņa, Spain
ABSTRACT- The use of plants as biomonitors is sometimes used to determine the levels of atmospheric deposition. Ryegrass cultures of Lolium perenne have been commonly used since the late 1960s to monitor the short and long-term accumulation of several air pollutants. The aim of this work was to develop a standardised protocol for grass culture exposure in the area surrounding an aluminium smelter. During the tests, Lolium perenne cultures were located in each of five existing ecological stations that are used to monitor the air quality in the vicinity of the aluminium smelter. L. perenne cultures were placed at each measuring spot for 28 days between August 1999 and October 2000. After the monitoring stage, the pigments from the plant-tissues were analysed. Also, the biomass content and concentration of heavy metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, Zn) were measured in Lolium perenne used during the experiments. Preliminary results obtained during the study showed the highest levels of bioconcentration for metals Al, Cr, Fe, Pb and Zn on those ecological stations that were closer to the smelter. The average concentration observed for Zn ranged from 213 to 51 mg g-1. In spite of these high levels of concentration observed during the study, the physiology of Lolium perenne did not display any stress.
Key words: Heavy metal, Lolium perenne, Biomonitoring