Quantitative analysis of fine dust particles on moss surfaces under laboratory conditions using the example of Brachythecium rutabulum

Comparative biomonitoring of airborne potentially toxic elements using mosses (Hypnum cupressiforme, Brachythecium spp.) and lichen (Evernia prunastri) over remote areas

The selection of the appropriate biomonitor species is a crucial criterion for biomonitoring on a broad spatial scale. Mosses Hypnum cupressiforme and Brachythecium spp. and lichen Evernia prunastri were sampled at 22 remote sites over Serbia aiming interspecies comparison of their bioconcentration capacities. The concentration of 16 potentially toxic elements (PTEs), Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sr, V, and Zn, was measured in the samples. Between the co-located mosses, linear regression analysis (type II) showed significant determination coefficients only for a couple of the elements (Cd and S), while for H. cupressiforme vs. lichen, significant regression lines were obtained for a broader set of elements (Ba, Cd, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Sr). The ratio of the PTEs in the mosses discovered higher concentrations in H. cupressiforme than in another moss at some sites and vice versa at other sites. According to the PTE ratios, H. cupressiforme accumulated much more element content than the lichen, but followed a similar spatial pattern. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) pointed out a different grouping of the PTEs depending on the species tested. The poor correlation of the moss-moss data is perhaps because several species of the genus Brachythecium were sampled, which possibly influenced the average genus accumulation capacity. In addition, morphological features of the mosses (concave vs. flat leaflets, creeping vs. cushiony life form) presumably delegate differences in PTE accumulation. To conclude, it should be careful with using more biomonitor species, even of the same genus, within the same study.

Is Active Moss Biomonitoring Comparable to Air Filter Standard Sampling?

Recently, significant attention has been paid to air quality awareness and its impact on human health, especially in urban agglomerations. Many types of dust samplers for air quality monitoring are used by governmental environmental monitoring agencies. However, these techniques are associated with high costs; as a consequence, biological methods such as active moss biomonitoring are being developed. The main disadvantages of such techniques are the lack of standardization of the preparation procedures and the lack of reliable comparisons of results with data from instrumental analyses. Our study aimed to compare the results obtained from active biomonitoring with the use of three moss species: Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum fallax and Dicranum polysetum. Samples were exposed via the moss-bag technique to measure the concentrations of analytes (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb) which had accumulated among the total suspended particulates (TSP) collected from the filters of a dust collector in the city of Opole (Opole voivodeship, Poland). With regard to the physicochemical and biological traits of the mosses, their assessed lifetime and actual photochemical efficiency (yield) following exposure were meagre, which may have been related to the change of environment and their exposure to pollutants. When comparing the results obtained by the two methods used to monitor air pollution, the biomonitoring method was found to be incompletely consistent with the reference method. Biological monitoring using mosses must be carefully considered depending on the monitoring objectives, the required level of sensitivity and quality of measurement and the type of pollutant.