Abstract

ALVAREZ HERRERA, Angie; ORDONEZ ZAPATA, Paula  and  SOTO MEDINA, Edier. Air quality determination using lichens as bioindicators in the urban area of the municipality of Tuluá, Valle del Cauca. rev. cienc. [online]. 2020, vol.24, n.2, e10528.  Epub Apr 22, 2022. ISSN 0121-1935.  https://doi.org/10.25100/rc.v24i2.10528.

The level of air pollution in Tuluá - Valle del Cauca was determined using lichenized fungi. Five local points were selected and named according to the vehicular and industrial contamination: high vehicular contamination, industrial contamination, transition, transition 2 (moderate vehicular flow), and bottom. In each point, nine phorophytes ofAcacia rubineawere sampled, in which lichen species were collected and identified through the criterion of frequency and liquenic coverage in an area of 20 cm x 30 cm located at 1.3 m of height. Twenty-nine species with crusty and foliose morphology were found, the environmental purity index (EPI), and the environmental classification factor (EFC) were established. The lowest EPI was obtained in point five, corresponding to a high pollution level (14.5), followed by four (17.7), six (20.3), and seven (30.7), and nine (30.9), classified as medium pollution. On the other hand, according to the EFC, all the submitted points were classified as maximum pollution. Finally, the research presents lichens as an alternative to monitoring air pollution in small cities that do not have the technology to monitor air quality.

Keywords : lichens; bioindicators; air quality; atmospheric purity index; environmental classification factor.

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