Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: Spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe

H. Harmens; D. A. Norris; E. Steinnes; E. Kubin; J. Piispanen; R. Alber; Y. Aleksiayenak; O. Blum; M. Coşkun; M. Dam; L. De Temmerman; J. A. Fernández; M. Frolova; M. Frontasyeva; L. González-Miqueo; K. Grodzińska; Z. Jeran; S. Korzekwa; M. Krmar; K. Kvietkus; S. Leblond; S. Liiv; S. H. Magnússon; B. Maňkovská; R. Pesch; A. Rühling; J. M. Santamaria; W. Schröder; Z. Spiric; I. Suchara; L. Thöni; V. Urumov; L. Yurukova; H. G. Zechmeister

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2010.06.039

Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: Spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe

H. Harmens
, D. A. Norris
, E. Steinnes
, E. Kubin
, J. Piispanen
, R. Alber
, Y. Aleksiayenak
, O. Blum
, M. Coşkun
, M. Dam
, L. De Temmerman
, J. A. Fernández
, M. Frolova
, M. Frontasyeva
, L. González-Miqueo
, K. Grodzińska
, Z. Jeran
, S. Korzekwa
, M. Krmar
, K. Kvietkus

S. Leblond, S. Liiv, S. H. Magnússon, B. Maňkovská, R. Pesch, A. Rühling, J. M. Santamaria, W. Schröder, Z. Spiric, I. Suchara, L. Thöni, V. Urumov, L. Yurukova, H. G. Zechmeister

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

In recent decades, mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. Although spatial patterns were metal-specific, in 2005 the lowest concentrations of metals in mosses were generally found in Scandinavia, the Baltic States and northern parts of the UK; the highest concentrations were generally found in Belgium and south-eastern Europe. The recent decline in emission and subsequent deposition of heavy metals across Europe has resulted in a decrease in the heavy metal concentration in mosses for the majority of metals. Since 1990, the concentration in mosses has declined the most for arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead and vanadium (52-72%), followed by copper, nickel and zinc (20-30%), with no significant reduction being observed for mercury (12% since 1995) and chromium (2%). However, temporal trends were country-specific with sometimes increases being found.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3144-3156
Number of pages	13
Journal	Environmental Pollution
Volume	158
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.06.039
Publication status	Published - 1 Oct 2010

Funding

We thank the United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra; contract EPG 1/3/170, EPG 1/3/205, AQ03509 and AQ0810), the UNECE (Trust Fund) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for funding the ICP Vegetation Programme Coordination Centre at CEH Bangor, UK. The contributions of many more scientists in 2005, additional scientists and countries in previous European surveys (1990–2000) and all the funding bodies in each country are gratefully acknowledged (for full details see Rühling, 1994; Rühling and Steinnes, 1998; Buse et al., 2003; Harmens et al., 2008a ). We thank Ilia Ilyin (EMEP/MSC-East) for making modelled heavy metal deposition data available and for the valuable discussions and Tim Sparks (CEH) for statistical advice.

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

105904 Environmental research

Keywords

Biomonitoring
EMEP maps
Heavy metals
Metal deposition
Moss survey

Access to Document

10.1016/j.envpol.2010.06.039

Cite this

Harmens, H., Norris, D. A., Steinnes, E., Kubin, E., Piispanen, J., Alber, R., Aleksiayenak, Y., Blum, O., Coşkun, M., Dam, M., De Temmerman, L., Fernández, J. A., Frolova, M., Frontasyeva, M., González-Miqueo, L., Grodzińska, K., Jeran, Z., Korzekwa, S., Krmar, M., ... Zechmeister, H. G. (2010). Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: Spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe. Environmental Pollution, 158(10), 3144-3156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.06.039

@article{027ed8bbfffb431d9d24bb6dd9070bf4,

title = "Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: Spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe",

abstract = "In recent decades, mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. Although spatial patterns were metal-specific, in 2005 the lowest concentrations of metals in mosses were generally found in Scandinavia, the Baltic States and northern parts of the UK; the highest concentrations were generally found in Belgium and south-eastern Europe. The recent decline in emission and subsequent deposition of heavy metals across Europe has resulted in a decrease in the heavy metal concentration in mosses for the majority of metals. Since 1990, the concentration in mosses has declined the most for arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead and vanadium (52-72\%), followed by copper, nickel and zinc (20-30\%), with no significant reduction being observed for mercury (12\% since 1995) and chromium (2\%). However, temporal trends were country-specific with sometimes increases being found.",

keywords = "Biomonitoring, EMEP maps, Heavy metals, Metal deposition, Moss survey",

author = "H. Harmens and Norris, \{D. A.\} and E. Steinnes and E. Kubin and J. Piispanen and R. Alber and Y. Aleksiayenak and O. Blum and M. Co{\c s}kun and M. Dam and \{De Temmerman\}, L. and Fern{\'a}ndez, \{J. A.\} and M. Frolova and M. Frontasyeva and L. Gonz{\'a}lez-Miqueo and K. Grodzi{\'n}ska and Z. Jeran and S. Korzekwa and M. Krmar and K. Kvietkus and S. Leblond and S. Liiv and Magn{\'u}sson, \{S. H.\} and B. Ma{\v n}kovsk{\'a} and R. Pesch and A. R{\"u}hling and Santamaria, \{J. M.\} and W. Schr{\"o}der and Z. Spiric and I. Suchara and L. Th{\"o}ni and V. Urumov and L. Yurukova and Zechmeister, \{H. G.\}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.envpol.2010.06.039",

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Harmens, H, Norris, DA, Steinnes, E, Kubin, E, Piispanen, J, Alber, R, Aleksiayenak, Y, Blum, O, Coşkun, M, Dam, M, De Temmerman, L, Fernández, JA, Frolova, M, Frontasyeva, M, González-Miqueo, L, Grodzińska, K, Jeran, Z, Korzekwa, S, Krmar, M, Kvietkus, K, Leblond, S, Liiv, S, Magnússon, SH, Maňkovská, B, Pesch, R, Rühling, A, Santamaria, JM, Schröder, W, Spiric, Z, Suchara, I, Thöni, L, Urumov, V, Yurukova, L & Zechmeister, HG 2010, 'Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: Spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe', Environmental Pollution, vol. 158, no. 10, pp. 3144-3156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.06.039

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T1 - Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition

T2 - Spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe

AU - Harmens, H.

AU - Norris, D. A.

AU - Steinnes, E.

AU - Kubin, E.

AU - Piispanen, J.

AU - Alber, R.

AU - Aleksiayenak, Y.

AU - Blum, O.

AU - Coşkun, M.

AU - Dam, M.

AU - De Temmerman, L.

AU - Fernández, J. A.

AU - Frolova, M.

AU - Frontasyeva, M.

AU - González-Miqueo, L.

AU - Grodzińska, K.

AU - Jeran, Z.

AU - Korzekwa, S.

AU - Krmar, M.

AU - Kvietkus, K.

AU - Leblond, S.

AU - Liiv, S.

AU - Magnússon, S. H.

AU - Maňkovská, B.

AU - Pesch, R.

AU - Rühling, A.

AU - Santamaria, J. M.

AU - Schröder, W.

AU - Spiric, Z.

AU - Suchara, I.

AU - Thöni, L.

AU - Urumov, V.

AU - Yurukova, L.

AU - Zechmeister, H. G.

PY - 2010/10/1

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N2 - In recent decades, mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. Although spatial patterns were metal-specific, in 2005 the lowest concentrations of metals in mosses were generally found in Scandinavia, the Baltic States and northern parts of the UK; the highest concentrations were generally found in Belgium and south-eastern Europe. The recent decline in emission and subsequent deposition of heavy metals across Europe has resulted in a decrease in the heavy metal concentration in mosses for the majority of metals. Since 1990, the concentration in mosses has declined the most for arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead and vanadium (52-72%), followed by copper, nickel and zinc (20-30%), with no significant reduction being observed for mercury (12% since 1995) and chromium (2%). However, temporal trends were country-specific with sometimes increases being found.

AB - In recent decades, mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. Although spatial patterns were metal-specific, in 2005 the lowest concentrations of metals in mosses were generally found in Scandinavia, the Baltic States and northern parts of the UK; the highest concentrations were generally found in Belgium and south-eastern Europe. The recent decline in emission and subsequent deposition of heavy metals across Europe has resulted in a decrease in the heavy metal concentration in mosses for the majority of metals. Since 1990, the concentration in mosses has declined the most for arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead and vanadium (52-72%), followed by copper, nickel and zinc (20-30%), with no significant reduction being observed for mercury (12% since 1995) and chromium (2%). However, temporal trends were country-specific with sometimes increases being found.

KW - Biomonitoring

KW - EMEP maps

KW - Heavy metals

KW - Metal deposition

KW - Moss survey

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DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2010.06.039

M3 - Article

C2 - 20674112

AN - SCOPUS:77958172483

SN - 0269-7491

VL - 158

SP - 3144

EP - 3156

JO - Environmental Pollution

JF - Environmental Pollution

IS - 10

ER -

Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: Spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe

Abstract

Funding

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

Keywords

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