The heavy metal biomonitoring study using lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr. in Ankara province (Turkey)

For the purpose of biomonitoring air pollution level in Ankara (capital of Turkey) in terms of heavy metals, Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr. lichen samples were collected at 30 stations on different tree species, 29 of which are located in city center and 1 outside the city as a control station, between November 2020 and April 2021. After drying and cleaning dust and bark materials from the lichen thallus, the analysis of heavy metals (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb) was performed using ICP-MS and the amaount of chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-b was measured with UV-Spectrophotometer. When mean of the heavy metal measurement results was compared with lichen reference values of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the ranking was as follows: Cr˃Fe˃Al˃Co˃V˃Cu˃As˃Ni˃Zn˃Pb˃Cd˃Mn. As expected, the station in Çamlıdere district, which was selected as a control station 98 km from the city center of Ankara, has lower heavy metals concentration compared to the other stations. According to the results of heavy metals concentration from other stations, the main sources of air pollution in Ankara are motor vehicles, fossil fuels, and industrial activities, respectively.