Abstract
Bryophytes are popular biomonitoring plants for atmospheric environments. The objectives of this study were to examine the characteristics of bryophyte communities, determine a suitable monitor species, and assess urban atmospheric environment quality by the joint use of bryophyte features and chemical properties in a large city in China. A pleurocarpous feather moss Haplocladium angustifolium was recognized as a good biomonitor of atmospheric deposition in central China by investigating bryophyte communities and habitat environment in various ecological function regions of the urban areas in Wuhan. The concentrations of trace elements, including As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, V, Pb, and Zn, in moss and soil samples from 25 sampling sites were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The concentrations of Cd and Zn in Haplocladium angustifolium collected from the entire study area were much higher than those in substrate soil. Cd was at the highest ecological risk level among the 10 elements, which contributed 34.5% to the potential ecological risk index (RI). An RI value of 392.8 indicated that urban atmospheric quality in Wuhan was in a considerable potential ecological risk. The index of atmospheric purity, regarding species richness, cover, and frequency of bryophytes, was spatially and negatively correlated with RI, also demonstrated the atmospheric quality. Effective measures should be considered to alleviate certain airborne trace element contamination and protect the environment and human health in this metropolis.
Highlights
Atmospheric pollution due to population growth and shift, the increases in urbanization and industrialization, and the continuous increase of motorized transportation is one of the major problems in urban areas and is a source of great public concern regarding environmental and health consequences [1,2,3]
At 25 sampling sites, 90 bryophyte species in 34 genera from 19 families were surveyed, with 67 species found on the ground and 44 species noted on the trunk of 61 trees
We suggested the combined usage of natural growing epigeic and epiphytic bryophytes to assess urban atmospheric environment
Summary
Atmospheric pollution due to population growth and shift, the increases in urbanization and industrialization, and the continuous increase of motorized transportation is one of the major problems in urban areas and is a source of great public concern regarding environmental and health consequences [1,2,3]. Various approaches and models for environmental assessment, air quality assessment, such as sampling of bulk, dry, or wet deposition, and the measurement of living organisms including insects, birds, cryptogams (bryophytes and lichens), angiospermous leaves and barks, or gymnospermous needles, have been applied [4,5]. Bryophytes are popular indicator/monitor plants because they cause fewer technical and analytical problems than lichens or tree bark [6,7,8]. Public Health 2020, 17, 4537; doi:10.3390/ijerph17124537 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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