Mapping of lichen biomarkers of atmospheric pollution in the Agadir urban area

Abstract

Air pollution refers to a combination of gases and suspended particles present in the atmosphere, whose concentration levels vary depending on emissions and weather conditions. These substances are harmful to human health and the environment. Analyzing air pollution is a key to assess the level of the pollution in an area. Commonly, the spatial distribution of some plants serves as bio-indictor for air pollution monitoring. Citing for example, lichens, are autotrophic and symbiotic living organisms composed of a beneficial association between an alga and a fungus, as well as "Nicotianaglauca" tobacco plants. The city of Agadir is characterized by an increasing industrial activity and heavy traffic, causing significant air pollution. In this context, our study focuses on monitoring air pollution through mapping lichens and "Nicotianaglauca" tobacco plants over three different zones. The first one located in the East-West axis, is near to the Faculty of Sciences of Agadir, while the other two zones are the Valley of Birds and Agadir Oufella. Using these pollution-sensitive organisms as a mapping method proves to be a simple, flexible, cost-effective, and efficient approach to establish pollution maps. The collection and analysis of lichens and "Nicotianaglauca" tobacco plants in these different zones will allow us to assess the levels of air pollution and create pollution maps for these specific regions.