Distribution of mercury in lichens across St. Charles, St. James, and St. John Parishes, Louisiana

摘要

Concentrations of mercury in the lichens Ramalina stenospora and Parmotrema praesorediosum were determined using a Bacharach Model 50B analyzer system employing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cold vapor atomic absorption method. Samples were collected from the limbs of live oak trees in a three-parish area in south-east Louisiana. The highest concentrations detected were above 0.8 ppm (mu g/ml) and fell off rapidly with increasing distance from possible sources of trace metals. The spatial distribution of mercury concentrations correlated with predominant wind patterns for the region. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. [References: 10]