Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
EKOLOJI, cilt.21, sa.85, ss.1-14, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
In this study, our aim is to describe the heavy metal contents of Pseudevernia furfuracea lichen samples exposed to various polluted areas in the province of Ankara, Turkey. P furfuracea lichen samples were collected from the Yenice Forest in Karabuk and were transported in bags to different sites in Ankara. The heavy metal concentrations of P furfuracea were analyzed by an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique. In addition, DNA alterations in the exposed lichen samples were described by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, in order to reveal the pattern of genetic variations influenced by the various environmental pollutants. Genomic template stabilities (GTS) were calculated from the changes in the RAPD profiles and compared with the element content in the P furfuracea lichen sample. The results obtained from chemical analysis were accumulated species of all the heavy metals in P furfuracea. Kizilay and Sihhiye showed the highest lead (Pb) levels, with values of 47.003 mu gg(-1) after three months and 52.800 mu gg(-1) after six months, which were significantly higher than the control site of 2.270 mu gg(-1). These high readings might be due to significantly high human activities, together with high vehicular density and congestion and other various pollutants, including SO2 and NH3. Results of the RAPD assay showed that the number of band appearances and disappearances were the highest in the samples collected from the Mamak district after three months of exposure and from Diskapi after six months of exposure. The results indicated that accumulating trace elements and DNA variations observed by RAPD analysis were the highest in the samples exposed after six month.