Changes in Element Concentrations in Moss Segments After Cross-Transplanting Between a Polluted and Non-Polluted Site

To test the ability of Hylocomium splendens segments to retain absorbed heavy metals (Fe, V and Pb) and some physiological elements (Ca, Mg and K) over a period of some years, moss turf was cross-transplanted between polluted and background sites. Thereby it was possible to determine how quickly the concentrations in moss can reach chemical equilibrium with the atmospheric inputs. At a particular site (background or polluted), the physiological elements in transplanted material quickly reached the levels in the non-transplanted moss. For the heavy metals, the concentrations remained stable over 3 years in moss cross-transplanted from a polluted to a background site. There appeared to be inherent differences between moss at the background and polluted sites in the ability to absorb and accumulate heavy metals.     

Trace Metals in Mosses in the Estonian Oil Shale Processing Region

Electric energy production and most heavy industry in Estonia are concentrated in the north-eastern part of the country. Thermoelectric power plants (total maximal capacity over 3 GW), cement and chemical industries are fueled by Kukersite oil shale, mined nearby. The mineral part of oil shale is rich in trace metals that can accumulate in the local ecosystem. Samples of epigeic mosses Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens were taken in 1992, 1997 and 2002 from sites 1 km to 30 km from the main air pollution sources and analysed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V and Zn. For background data collection, analogous measurements within the national monitoring programme were used. Raster maps of concentrations were generated from the measurements, using the Kriging algorithm. These maps were compared with the model-estimated (AEROPOL model) maps of fly ash and cement dust deposit from the past. The concentration of trace metals in mosses is highly (Cr, Fe, Ni, V) or moderately (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) affected by the airborne emissions of the oil shale industry. During the past decade the uptake of the first group of elements in the industrial zone has decreased 3–4 times in proportion to emissions.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pleurozium schreberi</Emphasis> of the Tatra mountains (Poland) used as a bioindicational system for observing long range atmospheric transport of chemical elements

Concentrations of the elements Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, V and Zn were measured in the moss Pleurozium schreberi from the Tatra National Park, one of the most protected regions in Poland. The moss samples were collected at different elevations between 860 and 2220 m a.s.l. P. schreberi was used as bioindicator for long range transported atmospheric pollution investigating the hypothesis that elevation influences the concentrations of elements in this moss. Principal component and classification analysis (PCCA) distinguished between mosses from the highest and the lowest elevations and mosses from West/East oriented valleys. P. schreberi from the highest elevations contained the highest concentrations of Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb, V and Zn. P. schreberi from the lowest elevation contained the highest concentration of K. P. schreberi from West/East oriented valleys contained the highest concentrations of Ni and Co. P. schreberi from the Tatra National Park, one of the most protected areas in Poland, receives metals originating from long distance aerial transport.     

Polyamine Production in Lichens Under Metal Pollution Stress

In the present study, thalli of the lichen species Pseudevernia furfuracea Zopf. and Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. transplanted around an oil-fired power station. Following an exposure of 4 months, trace element concentrations (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) and polyamine (PA) content [putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm)] of thalli were measured to study the polyamines production in lichens under metal pollution stress. The polyamine production was not significantly different for the two species but two types of statistically significant relationships were revealed between polyamines production and metals concentration in lichen thalli: a positive linear relationship for the pairs total PAs–Cd (P. furfuracea), total PAs–Cu (E. prunastri), Put–Pb (E. prunastri), Spm–Pb (E. prunastri) and a second-order polynomial relationship for the pairs Put–Cd (P. furfuracea), Spm–Cr (E. prunastri) and total PAs–V (E. prunastri). A possible involvement of polyamines in metal pollution stress response of lichens is discussed.     

Calibration of Four Species of Tillandsia as Air Pollution Biomonitors

Many organisms have been used as bioindicators of atmospheric contamination, with moss and lichen species being the most common. However, studies using epiphytic vascular species of Tillandsia have shown a good correlation between the presence of pollutants and the bioindicator's response. Therefore, the aim of our investigation was to calibrate and compare the response of four Tillandsia species of Argentina to ascertain whether they could be used as atmospheric contamination biomonitors. For this, we analysed the correlation between the levels of heavy metals in total atmospheric deposition samples and: a) their rate of enrichment; b) the physiological response of the plant samples. Tillandsia samples collected from a non contaminated area in the province of Córdoba were transplanted to four areas in the capital city with different sources of pollution (industrial or traffic emissions). They were exposed for a period of 3 to 6 months after which the concentrations of Pb, Ni, Fe, Zn, Cu and S as well as the physiological parameters of foliar damage were determined. Simultaneously samples of total atmospheric deposition were also taken.The highest level of metal enrichment was found in T. capillaris followed by T. tricholepis, T. permutata and T. retorta. Also, the use of a foliar damage index proved to be effective and could be a useful tool to evaluate different levels of atmospheric quality in these species. The rate of heavy metal deposition was higher in the industrial area for all metals except for Zn whose values were higher in areas with high levels of traffic.     

Heavy Metal Concentrations in European Mosses: 2000/2001 Survey

The heavy metals in mosses survey was originally established in 1980 as a joint Danish–Swedish initiative under the leadership of Åke Rühling, Sweden and has, since then, been repeated at five-yearly intervals with an increasing number of countries and individuals participating. Twenty-eight European countries, almost 7000 sites and about 100 individuals have been involved in the most recent survey in 2000/2001. The survey provides data on concentrations of 10 heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, vanadium, zinc) in naturally growing mosses throughout Europe. The technique of moss analysis provides a surrogate measure of the spatial patterns of heavy metal deposition from the atmosphere to terrestrial systems, and is easier and cheaper than conventional precipitation analysis. The aims of the survey are to determine patterns of variation in the heavy metal concentration of mosses across Europe, identify the main polluted areas, produce regional maps and further develop the understanding of long-range transboundary pollution.As in previous surveys, there was an east/west decrease in heavy metal concentrations in mosses, related in particular to industrial emissions. Former industrial sites and historic mines accounted for the location of some high concentrations in areas without contemporary industries. Long-range transboundary transport appears to account for elevated concentrations of heavy metals in areas without emission sources, such as lead in southern Scandinavia (presumably from emission sources elsewhere in Europe).     

Monitoring of Air Pollution in Latvia Between 1990 and 2000 Using Moss

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, V, Zn) in feather moss were estimated in national surveys in Latvia in 1990, 1995 and 2000. Hylocomium splendens was used as a biomonitor in 1990 and Pleurozium schreberi in the latter two years. Maps of the distributions of the metals in Latvia have been produced. The paper discusses the reasons underlying the distributions and also the temporal trends during the last ten years.     

Field and Laboratory Exposures of Two Moss Species to Low Level Metal Pollution

Moss transplants of the species Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus and Pleurozium schreberi were used as active biomonitoring organisms as a part of a monitoring study to assess the impact of metals associated with ambient particles on mosses at roadsides.The moss samples were exposed at a semi-urban and roadside site for 3 months for subsequent analysis of metal concentration (Cu, Pb and Zn). This field experiment was carried out to investigate the accumulation of the metals over a period of 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks at the two sites. The metal concentration in the moss samples generally increased with the length of exposure and was higher at the roadside site. The two species, however, showed slightly different accumulation patterns. In addition to the metal analysis chlorophyll concentrations were analysed as a measure of stress response in the moss samples of the above mentioned field exposures. The chlorophyll concentrations of exposed mosses showed no or only weak correlations to the concentration of the three metals measured in the moss, which suggests that other conditions have a greater influence on the chlorophyll concentration.The effect of a single metal on the moss was studied in laboratory experiments exposing R. squarrosus to the metals copper, lead and zinc at concentrations based on the above field data. At the concentrations used there was a significant reduction in the chlorophyll a concentration after exposure to copper.     

Heavy metals in aerosol samples from the Eastern Pamirs collected 2004–2006

This study measured the concentration of heavy metal elements in atmospheric aerosol samples collected between July 2004 and April 2006 at a remote site on Mt. Muztagata (38°17'N, 75°01'E, 4430 m), in the Eastern Pamirs. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP–MS) results show that the air at Muztagata contains low concentrations of As and heavy metal elements (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Bi), comparable with those in the Arctic — far lower than in heavily populated or industrialized areas. Observed enrichment factor (EF) values greater than 10 for those elements suggest partly anthropogenic sources. Seasonal variations in the concentrations of Zn, Cd, Pb, Bi, and As resemble those of crustal Al, with greater concentrations during the summer but lower ones in winter. Our results reveal that the background atmosphere in remote inner Asia is only weakly affected by anthropogenic pollution, and demonstrate that high heavy metal concentrations occur during summer but with greater EF values during the winter. The air mass back-trajectory analyses suggest that pollution from West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia are the main possible source areas that contribute to the heavy metals in aerosols at Muztagata.     

Determination of the optimal size of area to be sampled by use of the moss biomonitoring technique

The aim of the present study was to determine the optimal size of the sampling area that should be used in the moss biomonitoring technique, in relation to the spatial variation in the concentrations of contaminants determined in samples collected within short distances (<30 m). For this, the spatial structure in the concentrations of various metals and metalloids was explored by use of semivariograms calculated by use of a robust estimator of the variance. In each of the 3 sampling sites considered in the study (one sampled on two occasions), 50 samples of the moss Pseudoscleropodium purum were collected and the tissue concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, K, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn were determined. The results obtained show that in most cases (25 out of 32), there was no spatial structure in the concentrations of the elements and that the semivariograms were subject to the nugget effect. For those elements for which spatial independence or a linear spatial structure was observed, the size of the sampling area did not affect the results, and the dimensions were irrelevant within the range studied. The existence of spatial structure, which can be fitted to a spherical model, enabled a range of autocorrelation to be defined, which corresponded to an area of diameter >16 m. The proposed method must be applied to other species and in other regions, in order to standardize the size of the sampling sites in the moss biomonitoring technique.     

Air Pollution Studies in Central Russia (Tver and Yaroslavl Regions) Using the Moss Biomonitoring Technique and Neutron Activation Analysis

Data of 34 elements, including heavy metals, halogens, rare earth elements, U, and Th in 139 moss samples, collected in Central Russia in 2000–2002 in the Tver and Yaroslavl regions and in the northern part of the Moscow region, are presented. Factor analysis with VARIMAX rotation was applied to identify possible sources of the elements determined in the mosses. The seven resulting factors represent crust, vegetation and anthropogenic components. Some of the factors were interpreted as being associated with ferrous smelters (Fe, Zn, Sb, Ta); combination of non-ferrous smelters and other industries (Mn, Co, Mo, Cr, Ni, W); an oil-refining plant, and oil combustion at the thermal power plant (V, Ni). The geographical distribution patterns of the factor scores are also presented. Dependency equations of elemental content in mosses versus distance from the source were derived.     

Current Atmospheric Deposition Loads and Their Trends in the Czech Republic Determined by Mapping the Distribution of Moss Element Contents

Biomonitoring of atmospheric deposition loads of 13, 14 and 35 elements and their compounds through moss analysis was carried out in the Czech Republic (CZ) in 1991, 1995 and 2000, respectively. The last biomonitoring campaign revealed very high contents of typical soil elements and lanthanides in southern Moravia. The variations in current element contents in moss, which can be explained by the action of six factors, were correlated with altitude, with total biennial precipitation, and with the bedrock types in the sampling plots. The element contents in moss samples repeatedly collected from the identical plots showed a steady decrease in atmospheric deposition loads in the CZ in the last decade of the 20th century. The main reasons for this phenomenon are listed. The results of cluster analyses and PCAs have found no substantial changes in the qualitative element composition of atmospheric deposition in CZ in recent years. Isoline maps are presented, which document changes in the distribution of Cd, Pb and S contents in moss in 1995 and 2000. An estimate of absolute deposition loads (g m^–2 year^–1) for given areas of the CZ can be made, using the list of bulk deposition indices.     

Spatial trends in heavy metals and nitrogen deposition in Navarra (Northern Spain) based on moss analysis

A biomonitoring survey using the moss species Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. was performed in the North of Navarra (Spain) in 2006. The levels of V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Zr, Cd, Hg and Pb, and the total nitrogen content were determined in the samples by means of ICP-MS, CV-AA, and the Kjeldahl method. PCA analysis showed a differentiation between lithogenic (V, Cr, Mn, Ni, As and Zr) and anthropogenic elements (Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb). Spatial distribution maps were drawn using the kriging method, in order to identify the most affected areas and the main pollution sources. A similar spatial distribution was observed for the elements belonging to each group separated by the PCA, showing an important contribution from metal industries located in the Basque Country, as well as influence of long-range transboundary pollution processes. Background levels were also determined for the study area, along with the contamination factor for the different elements analysed. Mosses seemed to be good biomonitors of N deposition in areas of accumulation.     

European VOC Emission Estimates Evaluated by Measurements and Model Calculations

Observations and model calculations of the concentration of hydrocarbonsat five Scandinavian rural sites during March–June 1993are reported.Decreasing concentrations from March to June are observedat all sites. The highest concentrations of hydrocarbons were found in air massescoming in from the southwest to southeast, indicating that long rangetransport fromcontinental Europe and the U.K. is important in pollution episodes. An episode of elevated concentrations of hydrocarbons observed at three of the sites in the middle of Marchis described and discussed in relation to the synoptic situation and thepresenceof other chemical compounds (NO₂, PAN, total nitrate andozone).A Lagrangian numerical model is used to calculate the concentrations of theindividual hydrocarbons at the fivesites and comparison with observations is made.The calculated concentrations for nonmethane hydrocarbons with quite longchemicallifetimes agree well with the observations.For the sum of observed and calculated hydrocarbons the correlationcoefficientsare in the range of 0.65–0.88 for the five sitesand the ratio between calculated and measured concentrations was0.72–0.97, indicating thatthe European VOC emission inventory is quite well estimated.     

A summer and winter apportionment of particulate matter at urban and rural areas in northern France

The apportionment of atmospheric aerosols undertaken in Northern France during two sampling campaigns allowed to determine the influence of the atmospheric contribution of a heavy industrialized urban center on the particulate matter composition at a nearby rural site. The concentrations of major components and trace elements sampled by bulk filtration have been determined on June–July 2000 and January–February 2001, and the comparison of these two campaigns shows very well the importance of wind directions. The sources of 10 trace elements (Al, Ba, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Pb, Sr, Ti and Zn) and 7 major components (Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, NH₄⁺, Na, Mg and Ca) are better identified by studying their elemental contribution at each sampling site according to wind sectors. This kind of study shows that the concentrations recorded at the urban sampling site are always higher than those observed at the rural site as well during the summer campaign (about + 35%) as during the winter campaign (+ 90%), because of the predominance of the W–NW wind sector, corresponding to the influence of the urban and industrialized areas.     

Monitoring of Short-Term Heavy Metal Deposition by Accumulation in Epiphytic Lichens (Hypogymnia Physodes (L.) Nyl.)

Many lichens are very sensitive to air pollution due to their symbiotic nature. However, they are generally less sensitive to toxic effects of trace elements; therefore they can be used as accumulator organisms for estimating concentrations of these elements in the environment. Heavy metal accumulation in lichens is a commonly used bioindication method for assessing heavy metal ambient levels. An active biomonitoring method was used for the determination of short-term accumulation of zinc, lead, arsenic and cadmium by epiphytic lichens transplanted at different localities in Slovenia polluted by heavy metals. The atomic absorption spectrophotometry method was used for the determination of heavy metal content in lichen thalli. The content of heavy metals in lichens collected in the background area with clean air (Rogla, Pohorje Mountains) was used as the reference value. Lichens were transplanted from Rogla using the branch transplantation technique for a period of 6 months in the surroundings of Slovenian thermal power plants (Velenje, otanj, Zavodnje, Veliki Vrh, Vnajnarje, and Dobovec) and close to the lead and zinc ore smelter at erjav. The monthly accumulation of heavy metals was comparable within years at selected locations. Heavy metal pollution was the highest at erjav despite of remediation of lead and zinc ore smelter. The monthly accumulation of all four heavy metals was statistically significantly higher in lichens exposed at erjav than at other localities.     

Sorption Characteristics of Inorganic, Methyl and Elemental Mercury on Lichens and Mosses: Implication in Biogeochemical Cycling of Mercury

The sorption studies of Hg²⁺, CH₃Hg⁺ and elemental mercury (Hg⁰) were carried out on lichen (Parmelia sulcata) and moss (Funaria hygrometrica) samples under laboratory conditions. Desorption studies with HCl indicate that inorganic mercury (Hg⁺²) and methyl mercury could be completely desorbed with 1 M HCl and 0.5 M HCl, respectively. Samples loaded with elemental mercury, however, needed 4–5 M HCl concentration for complete desorption of the adsorbed elemental mercury. When similar desorption studies were carried out with field samples collected around a thermometer factory with elevated levels of mercury (8 mg/kg), it was found that only about 10–15% of total mercury was desorbed with 1M HCl, while 4–5 M acid was required for complete desorption. We have tried to correlate this information to understand the transformations of mercury species that may occur either in the atmosphere or on the biomonitors. The results indicated that the elemental mercury, the principal form of mercury contamination around the thermometer factory, is converted into a strongly held form by some chemical binding agents on the surface of lichen/moss, or elemental mercury could diffuse into the cells of the lichen/moss, which then needs the stronger acid to release it. Sorption capacity studies suggest that the lichens and mosses can also be used as sorbent material for the decontamination of inorganic and methyl mercury from aqueous solutions.     

Studies on Intercorrelation between Ions Co-Occurring in Precipitation in the Gdańsk-Sopot-Gdynia Tricity (Poland)

The paper presents monitoring results and environmental pollution assessment for the Gdask-Sopot-Gdynia Tricity (Poland), based onanalysis of precipitation. Precipitation samples were collected over a period of 12 months (January–December 1998) at ten locations in the Tricity. The following selected ions were determined in the samples:SO₄ ^2–, F^–, Cl^–, NO₃ ^–,PO₄ ^3–, NH₄ ⁺, Na⁺,Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, K⁺. The results were subjected to full statistical evaluation. Values of the parameters determined were correlated with each other. An attempt was made to explain co-occurrences of certain ions and the significance of their mutual effects. Pollutant concentrations and loads in precipitation were also correlated with data on wind direction and temperature in the region.Deposition of pollutants was very high in spring due to the prevailing air circulation patterns and low temperatures. Analysis of the correlations between co-occurring ions confirmed the significant impact of the location (sea coast) on the composition of rain water. Ionic ratios in rainwater were similar to those observed for sea salt samples. In addition, heavy traffic was most probably responsible for high concentrations of various forms of nitrogen and sulphates in the vicinity of major highways.     

Biomonitoring of Element Deposition Using Mosses in the 2000 French Survey: Identifying Sources and Spatial Trends

In the year 2000, the elemental composition of mosses collected from 528 French sites has been studied as part of the 2000 European Moss Survey. Five moss species were collected: Scleropodium purum (56%), Pleurozium schreberi (18%), Hypnum cupressiforme (18%), Thuidium tamariscinum (4.5%.) and Hylocomium splendens (3.5%). Mosses were kept whole for analysis, including green and brownish parts. Summary statistics on element concentrations (Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sr, V and Zn), and comparisons made with data from the other 27 participating European countries are shown here. The sources of these elements are identified using calculations of enrichment factors (EF) and principal component analysis (PCA). Finally, the spatial distribution in France of 10 elements is also shown, using maps underscoring areas showing highest concentration levels for each metal.     

Measurements of formaldehyde in the troposphere by tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy

Measurements of formaldehyde, HCHO, using tunable diode laser abssrption spectroscopy (TDLAS) are reported for four sites in North America. The TDLAS apparatus and its application to these measurements is described. Detection limits of ca. 0.25 ppbv were obtained with a three-minute time resolution. Two distinct types of diurnal behaviour were observed: in the absence of local pollution sources the HCHO diurnal variation was weak and HCHO is not lost during the night. We conclude that the lifetime of HCHO with respect to dry deposition was greater than 50 h at the least-polluted site. At sites downwind of pollution sources, the HCHO peaks near noon and declines in the afternoon. At the least-polluted location, the most probable value for HCHO was 0.25–0.5 ppbv, while hourly averaged values up to 12 ppbv were observed at the other locations.