Trace element concentrations in lichens collected in the Beskidy Mountains, the Outer Western Carpathians

The aim of the study was to assess trace metal air pollution in the Beskidy Mountains, the Outer Western Carpathians, Poland, with a widely used bioaccumulating organism, a lichen, Hypogymnia physodes. Lichens were collected at five stands (mountains) in parallel transect and analyzed for cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) content. Concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn in lichens were elevated, indicating moderate air pollution. The studied sites grouped in two clusters, with the three more contaminated sites being at the west end of the transect, and the two less polluted sites being situated more eastward. Such a pattern can be explained by the location of industrial centers and prevailing wind direction in southern Poland. The strongest correlation was noticed between Zn and Pb, which are known to occur jointly in ore deposits and are being processed in nearby Polish and Czech industrial regions.