Air-quality biomonitoring: assessment of genotoxicity of air pollution in the Province of Kayseri (Central Anatolia) by use of the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf and amplified fragment-length polymorphism markers.

Mixed air pollutants are considered a major cause of DNA damage in living organisms. In this study, samples of the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf were used as bioindicators to assess the genotoxicity of air pollutants in the province of Central Anatolia, Kayseri. The study area is characterized by the presence of numerous industrial activities, such as steel works, glassworks, and ship-building, metallurgical, mechanical and chemical industries. In the study, two biomonitoring experiments were performed during the dry and wet seasons of 2005. P. furfuracea lichen samples were exposed to various pollutants at 12 monitoring sites, distributed throughout the different parts of the province, and each experiment lasted for a period of four weeks. Genotoxic effects of environmental pollutants were evaluated with amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) molecular markers. The results indicate that the mixture of pollutants might have contributed to the changes in the band patterns obtained by AFLP analysis, reflecting the presence of DNA damage. The average value of polymorphism obtained from the amplification of the primers used was 45.0% for the wet period and 64.6% for the dry period. Genomic template stability (GTS) ratios revealed that the highest values belong to the P. furfuracea samples from Rural Site I and Rural Site II (97.9%, 99.3% respectively for the dry season), the lowest values were from Shanty II and Urban Road Site I (85.8%, 85.2%, respectively for the wet season). The present results indicate that the licxhen species P. furfuracea, which is known for its bioindicator-biomonitor capacity, also has a high capacity as indicator of genotoxicity. AFLP markers are cheap, reliable and, therefore, an important tool for studying genotoxicity in lichen species.

Characterization of an urban landfill soil by using physicochemical analysis and solid phase microextraction (SPME)-GC/MS.

We have aimed at characterizing top soil samples taken in-situ from five different locations of the unregulated dumping site in Eskisehir/Turkey for a period of six months. The study is the first attempt in the city and in Turkey, regarding particularly the SPME (Solid Phase Microextraction Technique) analysis method utilized. A comprehensive research has been conducted to produce critical soil data to be used for indicating current risks as well as the urgency of rehabilitating the site and establishing a sanitary landfill in the site. Conventional physicochemical analytical methods and SPME technique were used to analyze the samples. Physicochemical analyses were performed for determining the pH, total dried matter, volatile matter, total nitrogen, phosphorus, macro elements and heavy metals. Meteorological data were also recorded for the same period. SPSS.10.0 statistical program was used to determine the correlation between meteorological data and physicochemical analysis results. Mean values were used in the correlation analyses. These data indicated that the air temperature and precipitation have significant effects on soil characteristics. SPME, coupled with GC/MS, was used to identify eighty six volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds contained in soil samples. The samples were extracted by headspace SPME with heating (DeltaHS-SPME). SPME analyses were conducted using a commercially available polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber having a film thickness of 65 microm (Supelco) as a capture medium. The experimentally optimized headspace sampling conditions were arranged (15 min. at 50 degrees C) before a 30 min. sampling period.