Air Quality during New Year’s Eve: A Biomonitoring Study with Moss
Mosses are one of the best bioindicators in the assessment of atmospheric aerosol pollution by heavy metals. Studies using mosses allow both short- and long-term air quality monitoring. The increasing contamination of the environment (including air) is causing a search for new, cheap and effective methods of monitoring its condition. Once such method is the use of mosses in active biomonitoring. The aim of the study was to assess the atmospheric aerosol pollution with selected heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb) from the smoke of fireworks used during New Year’s Eve in the years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. In studies a biomonitoring moss-bag method with moss Pleurozium schreberi (Willd. e…
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 spec…
Modelling and analysis of the influence of solar spectrum on the efficiency of photovoltaic modules
Abstract The article presents the influence of changes in the solar radiation spectrum distribution on the properties of various photovoltaic modules, with particular emphasis on the scattered component. We compared the relative efficiency of the photovoltaic modules based on various semiconductor absorbers during bright and sunny, and cloudy summer days. Additionally, we presented the impact of the module tilt angle on the magnitude of the surface incident scattered component and on the efficiency of the module. The solar spectra for various weather conditions were estimated using specialised computer programmes,such as SolarSpectrum or SMARTS2, and we present here the validation results f…
Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Aerosol with the use of Apis mellifera and Pleurozium schreberi
Abstract The aim of the carried out research was to assess atmospheric aerosol pollution levels in the area of three apiaries located in the Opole Province and to analyse heavy metals pollution in bee honey and western honey bees. Pleurozium schreberi moss was used in analysing atmospheric aerosol pollution with the active biomonitoring method, whereas heavy metals levels were determined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry method (F-AAS). Relative Accumulation Factors (RAF) were used in determining increases of analytes concentrations in the moss samples. As a result of the carried out study, the following conclusions have been reached: mosses are good bioindicators of environment pol…
Mushrooms as Biomonitors of Heavy Metals Contamination in Forest Areas
Abstract The aim of the research was to assess the level of contamination with heavy metals (manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium and lead) in two forest areas selected in different places in Poland: the first one in the Swietokrzyskie Province (forests of the Staporkow Forest Division) and the second one in the Opolskie Province (forests of the Kup Forest Division). The degree of contamination of these forest areas with analytes was found using edible large-fruited mushrooms naturally occurring there - the research was carried out using passive biomonitoring method. Heavy metals in mushrooms (separately in stems and hats) as well as in soil samples were determined by atomic absor…
Mosses as a biomonitor to identify elements released into the air as a result of car workshop activities
Human activity as a result of civilization development contributes to creating new sources of environmental pollution. Air pollution is one of the major problems because it affects the fauna and flora, and people themselves. There is a lack of public awareness of the level of atmospheric analytes pollution emitted from people's occupational and recreational (leisure) activities. A quick, cheap and easy way to investigate the state of the environment is to use organisms-biomonitors that indicate the level of environmental pollution. The study aimed to assess air pollution in an urban area using three moss species: Sphagnum fallax, Pleurozium schreberi and Dicranum polysetum. Mosses were expo…
Using moss and lichens in biomonitoring of heavy-metal contamination of forest areas in southern and north-eastern Poland.
Abstract In the years 2014–2016 biomonitoring studies were conducted in the forest areas of south and north-eastern Poland: the Karkonosze Mountains, the Beskidy Mountains, the Borecka Forest, the Knyszynska Forest and the Bialowieska Forest. This study used epigeic moss Pleurozium schreberi and epiphytic lichens Hypogymnia physodes. Samples were collected in spring, summer and autumn. Approximately 500 samples of moss and lichens were collected for the study. In the samples, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb concentrations were determined. Based on the obtained results, the studied areas were ranked by extent of heavy-metal deposition: Beskidy > Karkonosze Mountains > forests of north-eastern …
Comparison of Exposure Techniques and Vitality Assessment of Mosses in Active Biomonitoring for Their Suitability in Assessing Heavy Metal Pollution in Atmospheric Aerosol.
The most widespread and used technique is the moss-bag method in active biomonitoring of air pollution using mosses. In the literature, we can find various studies on the standardization of this method, including attempts to standardize treatments and preparation procedures for their universal application. Few works comprehensively focus on other methods or compare other techniques used in active biomonitoring with mosses, especially including measurements of their vital parameters. Our experiment aimed to assess air pollution by selected heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Mn, Fe, and Hg) using three moss species (Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum fallax, and Dicranum polysetum) during a 12-week ex…
Bioaccumulation of Trace Elements from Aqueous Solutions by Selected Terrestrial Moss Species
The interrelationship between metal concentrations in mosses and their surroundings prompts research toward examining their accumulation properties, as it is particularly important for their usage in biomonitoring studies that use mosses. In this study, the kinetics of elemental sorption in three moss species (Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum polysetum, and Sphagnum fallax) were investigated under laboratory conditions. Sorption from metal salt solutions was carried out under static conditions with decreasing elemental concentration. Functional groups responsible for binding metal cations to the internal structures of the mosses were also identified. It was shown that the equilibrium state wa…
Active Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Aquatic Environment Using Mosses and Algae
In this paper, we present an analysis of the pollution of surface water and air by the heavy metals: Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the area of the smelter in Ozimek (Opolskie Voivodeship, Poland). The marine algae Palmaria palmata was exposed in the Mała Panew River, and three species of forest mosses: Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum fallax and Dicranum polysetum were also applied. Active biomonitoring was also carried out using P. schreberi mosses to assess air pollution, since the area and the river are influenced by the smelter’s activities. Analytes were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Student’s T-test and Mann–Whitney U test were used to assess th…
Mosses as Biomonitor of Air Pollution with Analytes Originating from Tobacco Smoke
Abstract The aim of the carried out research was the assessment of the possibility to use a popular bioindicator - Pleurozium schreberi mosses as a biosensor of the air pollution in living quarters with the analytes originating from tobacco smoke. The moss bag method of active biomonitoring, popular in environmental studies, was applied; the method is based on exposing mosses collected in clean areas in the locations polluted with, for example, heavy metals. However, this experiment involved exposing mosses in living quarters, in which approximately 10 cigarettes were smoked daily (first room - kitchen). For the purpose of comparison, moss samples were also placed in another room (bedroom),…
Influence of Heavy Metal Concentration on Chlorophyll Content in Pleurozium schreberi Mosses
Abstract The aim of biomonitoring is assessment of environment condition. Biomonitoring studies with the use of mosses focus mainly on analytes accumulation and determining elements’ concentrations in the study area. It is often forgotten that a bioindicator should be alive during biomonitoring studies (which can be determined by, e.g., analysis of chlorophyll content). The objective of the carried out research was an assessment of the influence of selected heavy metals concentration: Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb accumulated by Pleurozium schreberi mosses during 3-month exposition within active biomonitoring, on their vitality, assessed by an analysis of a and b chlorophyll concentrations. The stu…
Biological Monitoring Using Lichens as a Source of Information About Contamination of Mountain with Heavy Metals
Abstract The aim of this study was passive biomonitoring of the mountains of southern Poland. Lichens Hypogymnia physodes were used for the study. Concentrations of the heavy metals Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were determined in these lichens. The concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The analysis of the concentrations of the determined heavy metals in the lichen thallus allowed to determine the places with the highest and the lowest contamination with a given heavy metal in the study area. It was shown that the area of Great Czantoria and Big Soszow is the most contaminated with heavy metals among the investigated areas. The study shows that the transport of analy…
Passive and Active Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Aerosol with the Use of Mosses
Abstract The aim of the carried out research was passive and active biomonitoring of woodlands in the Opole province. Pleurozium schreberi mosses were used during the research, in which the following heavy metals concentrations were determined: Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb. Concentrations were determined with absorption atomic spectrometry (AAS). On the basis of the carried out research, concentrations of heavy metals in moss samples used in the passive and active biomonitoring methods were compared. The obtained results indicate that Pleurozium schreberi mosses can be successfully used in both passive and active biomonitoring, however, these methods should not be used interchangeably in a…
The Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination of the Cultivated Soils in the Odra River Floodplain
Abstract The aim of the study was to assess the contamination of selected heavy metals in cultivated soils of the Odra river floodplain. The heavy metals Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd and Pb were determined in soil samples collected in the autumn of 2020 - after the vegetation period of plants from designated measurement points. Concentrations of the analytes were measured using an atomic absorption spectrometer (F-ASA). A comparison was made between concentrations of heavy metals in soil samples collected from areas flooded in 1997 and from areas flooded as a result of rainfall, snowmelt and winter floods. The results of the studies were compared with the data for soils taken from non-flooded are…
Effects of tobacco smoke on indoor air quality: the use of mosses in biomonitoring.
This research was carried out to assess the possibility of using Pleurozium schreberi mosses as bioindicators of atmospheric aerosol pollution in living quarters (kitchen and bedroom), with metals originating from tobacco smoke from various types of cigarettes: conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The moss-bag method of active biomonitoring was used. The mosses were exposed in these indoor spaces for three months and, after the exposition period, their analytes – Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb – were determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F-AAS). Results were interpreted using the relative accumulation factors (RAF), coefficients of variation (CV) and th…
Is Your Moss Alive during Active Biomonitoring Study?
Biomonitoring was proposed to assess the condition of living organisms or entire ecosystems with the use of bioindicators—species sensitive to specific pollutants. It is important that the bioindicator species remains alive for as long as possible while retaining the ability to react to the negative effects of pollution (elimination/neutralization of hazardous contaminants). The purpose of the study was to assess the survival of Pleurozium schreberi moss during exposure (moss-bag technique) based on the measurement of the concentration of elements (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb), chlorophyll content, and its fluorescence. The study was carried out using a CCM-300 portable chlorophyll content meter…
The influence of environmental conditions on the lifespan of mosses under long-term active biomonitoring
Abstract Biomonitoring with living organisms is most often used in order to gather quick information about environmental quality – for example the level of heavy metals polluting the air. Experiments are not often performed when the bioindicator is exposed to pollutants over the long time (6 months and more) because this period required to obtain credible results and the risk not yet studied of physiological changes and of degeneration of the living material which would undoubtedly affect the biomonitoring results. The aim of study was to evaluate the physiological condition of Pleurozium schreberi moss species subjected to continuous exposure for a year, using the moss-bag method, under va…
The Application of Active Biomonitoring with the Use of Mosses to Identify Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in an Atmospheric Aerosol
The use of biological indicators of environmental quality is an alternative method of monitoring ecosystem pollution. Various groups of contaminants, including organic ones, can be measured in environmental samples. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have not yet been determined by the moss bag technique. This technique uses several moss species simultaneously in urban areas to select the best biomonitoring of these compounds, which are dangerous to humans and the environment. In this research, a gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used for the determination of selected PAHs in three species of mosses: Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum fallax and Dicranum polysetum (acti…
Air Pollution Research Based on Spider Web and Parallel Continuous Particulate Monitoring—A Comparison Study Coupled with Identification of Sources
Air pollution is monitored mainly in urban or industrial areas, even if it is known that in rural ones, low emission can significantly worsen air quality. Hence, cheap and easily accessible methods of monitoring are needed. Recently, spider webs biomonitoring is getting popular, however, there is no information about its comparison with active methods. In this study, PTEs accumulated on spider webs were compared with results from continuous particulate monitor (CPM). Generally, higher potentially toxic elements concentrations were noted in spider web, with exception in the case of Zn. Zn may be present rather in smaller fractions, hence it needs more time for accumulation on spider web whil…
Bibliometric analysis of European publications between 2001 and 2016 on concentrations of selected elements in mushrooms.
This article presents a bibliometric study of 200 European publications released between 2001 and 2016, about the contamination of mushrooms by selected elements. The analysis includes figures on the type of analyte, its concentration, the species of fungi, and its country of origin. In the literature review, 492 species of mushrooms (wild-growing and cultured) found in 26 European countries and their concentration of 74 associated elements were analysed. The papers, which dealt mainly with the heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn) concentrations of mushrooms, primarily came from Turkey, Poland, Spain, and the Czech Republic. More than 50% of the publications provided data about edible mushr…
The Use of Bark in Biomonitoring Heavy Metal Pollution of Forest Areas on the Example of Selected Areas in Poland
Abstract In the year 2016, passive biomonitoring studies were conducted in the forest areas of southern and north-eastern Poland: the Karkonosze Mountains (Kark), the Beskidy Mountains (Beskid), Borecka Forest (P. Bor), Knyszynska Forest (P. Kny), and Białowieza Forest (P. Bia). This study used bark from the tree, Betula pendula Roth. Samples were collected in spring (Sp), summer (Su), and autumn (Au). Concentrations of Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were determined for the samples using the atomic absorption spectrometry method with flame excitation (F-AAS). Based on the obtained results, the studied areas were ranked according to level of heavy-metal deposition: forests of southern Poland…
The Biological Monitoring as a Source of Information on Environmental Pollution with Heavy Metals
Abstract The influence of environmental pollution on living organisms has been known for a long time, but it was not until the second half of the twentieth century that methodical studies on the influence of anthropopressure on changes in ecosystems began. Living organisms began to be used as biological indicators of environmental pollution. Cyclical and quantitative studies of pollutant concentrations in bioaccumulators have become the basis of modern biological monitoring (biomonitoring) of environmental pollution. Biomonitoring studies are carried out with the passive method (passive biomonitoring), in which living organisms occurring in their natural environment are analysed, and with a…
The influence of preparation methodology on the concentrations of heavy metals in Pleurozium schreberi moss samples prior to use in active biomonitoring studies
AbstractActive biomonitoring is used to assess environmental pollution of elements such as heavy metals by indicator species such as mosses. They are used, among others, in urbanized areas where no indicator species are found. In such study areas, mosses collected from sites considered to be ecologically clean shall be exposed. In this context, it is very important to prepare the mosses properly before the exposure, so that the information received about the condition of the environment is reliable. In 2018, studies were conducted in the forested areas of southern Poland—in Opolskie Province. Pleurozium schreberi mosses were used in these studies. Atomic absorption spectrometry with flame a…