Preliminary study on lichen biota of Colca Canyon and Valley of the Volcanoes (Peru)

Badania lichenologiczne prowadzone były w rejonie Doliny Colca, Kanionu Colca oraz Doliny Wulkanów (Andy Centralne), na obszarze piętra roślinnego puna, na wysokości 3000 do 5000 m n.p.m. Na 20 stanowiskach, zlokalizowanych za pomocą odbiornika GPS, zebrano 150 okazów porostów. Z dotychczasowych badań wynika, że dominują tu gatunki skorupiaste, mniej liczne są porosty o plechach plakodiowych, listkowatych lub krzaczkowatych. Gatunki porostów naskalnych najczęściej należą do rodzajów Acarospora, Buellia oraz Psiloparmelia. Porosty epigeiczne i epifity są nieliczne. Wśród porostów epigeicznych najczęściej były notowane gatunki z rodzaju Acarospora, Flavoparmelia, Lecidea, Caloplaca, Lepraria i Physconia. Na zdrewniałych częściach kaktusów zidentyfikowano rodzaje Buellia, Caloplaca, Teloschistes i Xanthoria, a na zdrewniałych tkankach roślin wyższych Physcia, Buellia, Candelariella, Usnea, Parmelia oraz Caloplaca. Badania zmierzają do oznaczenia gatunków oraz oszacowania bioróżnorodności porostów na badanym obszarze.Lichenological investigations were conducted in the region of Colca Valley, Colca Canyon and Valley of the Volcanoes (Central Andes), in the area of puna, at altitudes between 3000 and 5000 m a.s.l. Specimens were collected on 20 sites, located using GPS receiver. Most of the 150 specimens are crustose lichens. Squamulose, foliose and fruticose lichens are less frequent. Epilithic lichens belong mostly to genera Acarospora, Buellia and Psiloparmelia. Among epigeic lichens most common are species of following genera: Acarospora, Flavoparmelia, Lecidea, Caloplaca, Lepraria and Physconia. On wooden parts of cacti genera: Buellia, Caloplaca, Teloschistes and Xanthoria were identified, and on wooden parts of vascular plants genera: Physcia, Buellia, Candelariella, Usnea, Parmelia and Caloplaca. Now further work is being done to determine the species and the level of lichen biodiversity in this region

Adsorption of cesium on different types of activated carbon

The optimal conditions to remove radiocesium from water by adsorption on activated carbon (AC) were investigated. Two commercial ACs were compared to ACs prepared by steam activation of brewers’ spent grain. The influence of pH and loading AC with Prussian Blue were studied. 134Cs, measured by gamma-ray spectroscopy, served as a tracer for the Cs concentration. Column experiments showed that a neutral to acidic pH enhanced adsorption compared to high pH. Norit GAC 1240 had the highest adsorption capacity, 8.5 µg Cs g-1 AC for a column filtration. Sequential columns of Norit GAC 1240 removed 28.1 ± 2.8 % of Cs per column.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

137Cs, 40K, 238Pu, 239+240Pu and 90Sr in biological samples from King George Island (Southern Shetlands) in Antarctica

There are few data reported on radionuclide contamination in Antarctica. The aim of this paper is to report 137Cs, 90Sr and 238,239+240Pu and 40K activity concentrations measured in biological samples collected from King George Island (Southern Shetlands, Antarctica), mostly during 2001–2002. The samples included: bones, eggshells and feathers of penguin Pygoscelis papua, bones and feathers of petrel Daption capense, bones and fur of seal Mirounga leonina, algae Himantothallus grandifolius, Desmarestia anceps and Cystosphaera jacquinotii, fish Notothenia corriceps, sea invertebrates Amphipoda, shells of limpet Nacella concina, lichen Usnea aurantiaco-atra, vascular plants Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis, fungi Omphalina pyxidata, moss Sanionia uncinata and soil. The results show a large variation in some activity concentrations. Samples from the marine environment had lower contamination levels than those from terrestrial ecosystems. The highest activity concentrations for all radionuclides were found in lichen and, to a lesser extent, in mosses, probably because lichens take up atmospheric pollutants and retain them. The only significant correlation (except for that expected between 238Pu and 239+240Pu) was noted for moss and lichen samples between plutonium and 90Sr. A tendency to a slow decrease with time seems to be occurring. Analyses of the activity ratios show varying fractionation between various radionuclides in different organisms. Algae were relatively more highly contaminated with plutonium and radiostrontium, and depleted with radiocesium. Feathers had the lowest plutonium concentrations. Radiostrontium and, to a lesser extent, Pu accumulated in bones. The present low intensity of fallout in Antarctic has a lower 238Pu/239+240Pu activity ratio than that expected for global fallout