Radionuclide and trace metal accumulation in a variety of mosses used as bioindicators for atmospheric deposition

Abstract

Mosses can be used as biological monitors to study metal pollution and the depositional fluxes of radionuclides. In this study, we analysed the concentrations of radionuclides (210Pb (210Pbex), 7Be, 137Cs, 40K, 238U, 226Ra, 228Ra and 228Th) and metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Al, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, V and Mn) in moss and soil samples from two different regions. The metal concentrations were higher in mainland China than in the Arctic region, and this is likely associated with the comparatively lower rates of industrial production and human activity in the Arctic region. Principal component analysis and correlation results revealed two radionuclides sources types in mosses, i.e., soil (40K, 238U, 226Ra, 228Ra and 228Ra) and atmospheric (210Pb (210Pbex), 7Be 137Cs). Clustering and correlation analyses showed that different sources such as traffic (suspended dust), fossil fuels, dry and wet deposition (atmosphere and rainfall), and soil contributed to metal accumulation in mosses. The correlation between radionuclides and metals supported these observations, confirmed the accuracy of our results, and suggests that radionuclides are useful for identifying the source of metals in moss samples. The concentration ratios (CR) values of the radionuclides and the bioaccumulation factor (BCF) and enrichment factor (EF) values of metals in mosses helped identify the most environmentally sensitive moss, i.e., BS (Bryum paradoxum), which can be used for screening and monitoring radionuclides and metal pollution in urban atmospheres. These results support the use of analysing radionuclides in mosses to identify metal sources, and the potential use of mosses can to determine the atmospheric deposition fluxes of radionuclides.