Ultrastructural effects of trace elements and environmental pollution in Italian “Triangle of Death” on Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf

Abstract

The lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea was exposed to environmental trace elements in the district of Acerra (province of Naples, southern Italy), one of the points forming Italy's “Triangle of Death”. P. furfuracea thalli were exposed in bags at different sites for 6 months, periodically collected and examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to assess ultrastructural changes. An our earlier study demonstrated that these exposed lichens were strongly contaminated by trace elements (Sorbo S, Aprile G, Strumia S, Castaldo Cobianchi R, Leone A, et al. 2008. Trace element accumulation in P. furfuracea (L.) Zopf exposed in Italy's so-called Triangle of Death. Sci Total Environ 407: 647–654.). The algal cells were more affected than the fungal symbiont. Exposition at urban sites gave the most frequent changes. Four trace elements (Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn) were used to study the effects of ultrastructural trace element both in field and in vitro treatments. The lichen developed comparable ultrastructural changes when exposed to different trace elements and the changes were not specific to the treatment used (lichen bag exposition, in field and in vitro treatments). The in vitro treatment gave the highest frequency of damage at all time points. X-ray TEM microanalysis revealed trace elements inside the cell walls and the cytoplasmic vesicles of the lichens cultured with the trace elements; this localization is probably related to tolerance mechanisms.

Keywords:

• lichen bag
• Pseudevernia furfuracea
• TEM
• trace element
• ultrastructure
• X-ray microanalysis

Acknowledgement

This study was carried out in collaboration with ARPAC (Agenzia Regionale Protezione Ambiente della Campania).