6533b871fe1ef96bd12d23b0
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Background element content in the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea: a comparative analysis of digestion methods
Guido IncertiPaola AdamoValeria SpagnuoloRoberto BargagliFiore CapozziDomenico PuntilloFabio Candotto CarnielSimonetta GiordanoElva CecconiRenato BenesperiMauro TretiachSergio E. Favero-longoSonia Raverasubject
Pseudevernia furfuraceaMultivariate statisticsAcid extraction; Air pollution; Baseline; Bioaccumulation; Biomonitor; Mineralization; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants; Hydrochloric Acid; Italy; Lichens; Nitric Acid; Trace Elements; 2300; Pollution; Management Monitoring Policy and LawMineralization010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciencesLichensMonitoringAir pollutionLichen010501 environmental sciencesManagement Monitoring Policy and Law01 natural sciencesNitric AcidAcid extractionAcid extraction; Air pollution; Baseline; Bioaccumulation; Biomonitor; Mineralization; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants; Hydrochloric Acid; Italy; Lichens; Nitric Acid; Trace Elementschemistry.chemical_compoundDigestion (alchemy)Nitric acidBaselineBiomonitoringAqua regiaEnvironmental Pollutant0105 earth and related environmental sciencesGeneral Environmental Sciencebiology2300Policy and LawGeneral Medicinebiology.organism_classificationAir pollution; Baseline; Bioaccumulation; Biomonitor; Mineralization; Acid extractionBioaccumulationPollutionTrace ElementsManagementchemistryItalyBiomonitorBioaccumulationEnvironmental chemistryAnalytical proceduresEnvironmental PollutantsHydrochloric AcidEnvironmental Monitoringdescription
In bioaccumulation studies, the interpretation of pollutant contents in the target biomonitor has to be performed by assessing a deviation from an unaltered reference condition. A common strategy consists in the comparison with background element content (BEC) values, often built up by uncritically merging methodologically heterogeneous data. In this respect, the acid digestion of samples was identified as a major step affecting BEC data. Here, the analytical outcomes of two acid mixtures were compared on a set of matched paired samples of the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea, a widely used biomonitor for which BEC values based on partial digestion were previously provided. The standard reference material BCR 482 (P. furfuracea) was used to validate analytical procedures consisting of either a HF total mineralization or an aqua regia partial one, both associated to ICP-MS multi-element analysis. In particular, the performance of the procedures was evaluated by comparing analytical results of field samples with the accuracy obtained on BCR aliquots (measured-to-expected percentage ratio). The total digestion showed a better performance for Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Se, Sn, and Zn, whereas the opposite was found for Cr, Co, P, and S. Moreover, new BEC values were provided for P. furfuracea using a consolidated statistical approach, after a total sample digestion with hydrofluoric acid. The multivariate investigation of the background variability of 43 elements in 57 remote Italian sites led to the identification of geographically homogeneous areas for which BEC values are provided for use as reference in biomonitoring applications.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-01-01 |