Yatağan Termik Santrali Çevresinden Toplanan Likenlerde (Xanthoria parietina) Saptanan Ağir Metal Kirliliğinin Coğrafi Dağilişi * Geographical Distribution of Heavy Metal Pollution in Lichens (Xanthoria parietina) in the Vicinity of Yatağan Coal Fired Power Plant

Heavy metals are classified among the most dangerous groups of anthropogenic environmental pollutants due to their toxicity and persistence in the environment. Coalfired power productions are among the one of the main sources of heavy metal contaminations in the environment. Lichens have effectively been used as biomonitors of metal contamination in the atmosphere either by sampling of the organism in situ or by using the transplantation technique. In this study, epiphytic lichen Xanthoria parietina was applied as the biomonitor of air pollution to determine the environmental influence in the vicinity of Yatagan coal-fired power plant. Total six elements (Hg, Ni, Pb, Cu, Zn, Fe) have been taken into account and the results of analysis obtained in the current study were compared to the data reported in literature. The most polluted areas were found to be those in the vicinity of the coal-fired power plant (densely in the western part) and southeastern slopes of Yatagan depression, particularly along the direction of predominant wind and due to topographic conditions.