Time‐and‐site integrated long‐term biomonitoring of chemical elements by means of mosses

Abstract

To use Polytrichum formosum for biomonitoring the heavy metal status of the environment and to obtain further information on the long‐term behaviour of Polytrichum concerning chemical substances, 12 chemical elements (Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) were quantitatively determined by AAS and AES/ICP measurements after sampling over regular intervals from 1985 to 1991. As already found in previous studies, all chemical elements are characterized by typical seasonal variations with maximum concentrations in the winter and lowest concentrations in the summer month due to the dilution effect of chemical elements caused by the higher biomass production of Polytrichum formosum in spring. An exception is the element K, snowing contrary behaviour throughout all the years with highest concentrations in the summer month which can be explained by the important physiological and osmolytical function of this element (e.g. for movement of the leaves). According to lower emission rates the concentratio...