Известия Томского политехнического университета: Инжиниринг георесурсов (Mar 2020)

ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF LICHEN (Rhizocarpon) ON STONE AS AN INDICATOR OF POLLUTANT TRANSPORT TO THE ALTAI TERRITORY

  • Yuriy V. Robertus,
  • Leonid P. Rikhvanov,
  • Dmitry V. Yusupov,
  • Roman V. Lyubimov,
  • Anna V. Kivatskaya,
  • Valentina A. Sitnikova,
  • Tatiana S. Bolshunova

DOI
https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2020/3/2534
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 331, no. 3
pp. 72 – 79

Abstract

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Relevance of the work is caused by the need to study the environmental consequences of long-term transboundary transport of pollutants from industrial centers of East Kazakhstan to the Altai region and Altai Republic. The main aim of the research is to study the elemental composition and features of its distribution in the epilitic lichen Rhizocarpon geographicum (L.) DC. on stone as a biogeochemical indicator of the specificity and intensity of transboundary transport of pollutants to the Altai territory. The methods: selection of samples of lichen Rhizocarpon geographicum (L.) DC. on rock outcrops of lower Paleozoic terrigenous rocks to determine the content of mercury and 28 chemical elements by atomic absorption and instrumental neutron activation analysis, processing the data by methods of applied statistics. The results. The authors have obtained the data on the levels of content and distribution characteristics of the complex chemical elements in the lichen Rhizocarpon geographicum (L.) DC. on stone on the territory of Altai. They were compared with the regional background and Clark in the biosphere. The presence of two groups of elements in the lichen – trace elements of inorganic dust and the Association of elements of polymetallic ores (Zn, As, Sb, Br, Hg, Au) was established. The argument in favor of the predominant receipt of elements of this Association in the lichen Rhizocarpon from atmospheric deposition transferred from the territory of East Kazakhstan was given. The authors identified the large area of elevated concentrations of the studied elements in Rhizocarpon, spatially coinciding with the previously established area of snow and vegetation contamination in the region. They made the conclusion on suitability of the elemental composition of epilitic lichen Rhizocarpon on stone as a biogeochemical indicator of the specificity and intensity of transboundary transport of pollutants to the Altai territory.

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