LICHENS AS BIOMONITORS OF GEOTHERMAL RADIONUCLIDE POLLUTION

The epiphytic lichen Parmelia caperata was used systematically as a bi oaccumulator of radionuclides in the Travale-radicondoli geothermal he ld (central Italy). The results showed that radioactivity in this area is not different from that of other non-geothermal areas and that the exploitation of geothermal resources should not cause an enrichment i n radioactivity. However, the survey also revealed a negative associat ion between total beta radioactivity in lichens and the distance from geothermal power plants, so that the latter may represent a source of local radionuclide pollution. (C) 1997 CNR. Published by Elsevier Scie nce Ltd.