Heavy metal accumulation and genotoxicity indicator capacity of the lichen species ramalina pollinaria collected from around an Iron steel factory in Karabük, Turkey

Abstract

In the present work, Ramalina pollinaria (Westr.) Ach. specimens collected from around an iron steel factory in Karabük were analyzed due to their heavy metal accumulation by atomic absorption spectrometry. Te specimens were also evaluated for pollution-induced DNA damage by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay. Genomic template stabilities were calculated from the changes in RAPD profiles and compared with heavy metal content in R. pollinaria. Te results obtained from chemical analysis suggest that R. pollinaria is a particularly suitable lichen species for the detection of air quality. Results of RAPD assay showed significant diferences in band patterns in R. pollinaria as compared to the control sample with respect to disappearance and appearance of bands. In this study, we have assessed the potential of RAPD assay as an application tool for detecting the genotoxic effect of air pollutants according to the changes in DNA band patterns in R. pollinaria. © TÜBİTAK.