Can the Biomonitor Tillandsia usneoides Be Used to Estimate Occupational and Environmental Mercury Levels in the Air?

Autores/as

  • Márlon de Freitas Fonseca Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, IBCCF, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (CCS), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil ; Hospital Central da PMERJ, Secretaria de Segurança Pública do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
  • W. R. Bastos Laboratório de Biogeoquímica Ambiental, Núcleo de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de Rondônia (UNIR), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
  • F. N. Pinto Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, IBCCF, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (CCS), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
  • M. de F. Rebelo Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, IBCCF, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (CCS), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
  • J. P. M. Torres Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, IBCCF, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (CCS), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
  • J. R. D. Guimarães Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, IBCCF, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (CCS), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
  • W. C. Pfeiffer Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, IBCCF, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (CCS), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
  • R. G. Marques Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, IBCCF, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (CCS), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil ; Laboratório de Biogeoquímica Ambiental, Núcleo de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de Rondônia (UNIR), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
  • O. Malm Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, IBCCF, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (CCS), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5132/jbse.2007.02.005

Palabras clave:

mercury, Tillandsia usneoides, biomonitor, air pollution, chlor-alkali

Resumen

Spanish moss, the epiphyte bromeliad Tillandsia usneoides (in Brazil, “Barba-de-velho”), has been used as biomonitor to evaluate air pollutants. In this article, total Hg concentrations were determined in bromeliads exposed at different areas of a Brazilian chlor-alkali plant while a calibration curve was built under controlled conditions in order to estimate atmospheric Hg concentrations. Hg determinations were performed by atomic absorption spectrometry. In the laboratory, the bromeliad exhibited linear Hg retention (r = 0.99; p < 0.05) when exposed to different Hg concentrations for 15 days under controlled conditions. While Tillandsia usneoides allows simultaneous and continuous monitoring of several workplaces inside a factory, identifying critical areas where workers can be overexposed, we conclude that bromeliad biomonitoring does not appear to be a trustworthy procedure to estimate Hg concentration in the air. However, this just can be a useful method for identifying and monitoring critical sites in continuous occupational and environmental control risk programs.

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Publicado

2007-07-10

Cómo citar

Fonseca, M. de F., Bastos, W. R., Pinto, F. N., Rebelo, M. de F., Torres, J. P. M., Guimarães, J. R. D., Pfeiffer, W. C., Marques, R. G., & Malm, O. (2007). Can the Biomonitor Tillandsia usneoides Be Used to Estimate Occupational and Environmental Mercury Levels in the Air?. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Contamination, 2(2), 129–137. https://doi.org/10.5132/jbse.2007.02.005

Número

Vol. 2 Núm. 2 (2007)

Sección

Original Articles

Licencia

Derechos de autor 2007 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Contamination

Creative Commons License

Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.

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