Fontinalis Antipyretica Research Articles

Accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the devitalized aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica: From laboratory to field conditions.

This work aims to test the feasibility of a Fontinalis antipyretica devitalized moss clone to uptake and accumulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from surface waters. To assess the capability of the devitalized clone to accumulate PAHs, in the laboratory, moss was placed in water and spiked with increasing concentrations of 16 PAHs, and under field conditions, the moss was transplanted to 22 sites of Galicia (Spain) rivers. In general, PAH concentrations in water samples were lower than the maximum allowable concentrations from Directive 2013/39/EU, so the sampling sites did not show water PAH contamination. The exponential accumulation kinetic in the laboratory trial highlights a good capability of the devitalized moss clone to accumulate total PAHs. In field experiments, the hydrogeological conditions and the low emission sources caused low concentrations of PAHs in the water system and, consequently, in the transplants, although an enrichment can be observed for several PAHs. Overall, the devitalized clone of F. antipyretica can uptake and accumulate PAHs in water and may be useful in bioremediation strategies.

A comparative study of biota and sediments as monitors of plutonium in the Yenisei River (Siberia, Russia)

MOX-fuel production and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing started recently at the Mining-and-Chemical Combine (MCC, Zheleznogorsk, Russia) have caused an increase in controlled releases of plutonium to the Yenisei River. In this study, we analyzed time-dependent trends of plutonium (239,240Pu and 238Pu) in biota and bottom sediments of the Yenisei during 2008–2019, to estimate comparatively the potential of abundant representatives of biota as bio-monitors of contamination of the Yenisei by plutonium. Gamma-emitting radionuclides (40 K; 60Co; 137Cs; 152Eu; 241Am) were measured in environmental samples of the Yenisei as well. Samples of bottom sediments, water moss (Fontinalis antipyretica), shining pondweed (Potamogeton lucens), caddisfly larvae with casings (Apatania crymophila), and amphipods (Eulimnogammarus viridis and Palaseopsis cancelloides) were collected downstream and upstream of the radioactive discharge site. Environmental samples of the Yenisei collected downstream of the radioactive discharge site differed considerably in activity concentrations of plutonium but were similar in time-dependent trends of plutonium, reflecting the trends of annual discharges of plutonium. In 2018, the year of a sharp increase in controlled discharge of plutonium, the concentration of 239,240Pu in water moss (26 Bq kg−1 d.w.) was higher than in sediments (14 Bq kg−1 d.w.). In other years, the highest activity concentration of 2391,240Pu was observed in bottom sediments. In view of the higher magnitude of increase in plutonium concentration, water moss and shining pondweed can be considered as more sensitive indicators of increased fresh releases of plutonium than bottom sediments. Taking into account the food-related mechanism of plutonium uptake by amphipods, this representative of biota can be regarded as a sensitive monitor of bioavailable plutonium in the Yenisei.

Новые находки редких видов растений, грибов и лишайников в центральных районах Ростовской области

The report provides data on new localities of rare and protected species of plants, fungi and lichens in the central districts of the Rostov Region – Belokalitvinsky, Kamensky, Konstantinovsky, Krasnosulinsky, Morozovsky, Tatsinsky, Ust-Donetsky, Tsimlyansky. Basing on the results of the monitoring works done in 2020, 196 locali-ties of 63 species that were not included in the 2nd edition of the Red Data Book of the Rostov Region (Krasnaia…, 2014) were noted, including 67 locations of 19 species included in the Red Data Book of the Rus-sian Federation (Krasnaia…, 2008). 9 species of plants and fungi are indicated for the study region for the first time (macromycetes Agaricus bernardiiformis, Amanita vittadinii, Leccinum duriusculum, moss Fontinalis antipy-retica, angiosperms Elytrigia stipifolia, Jurinea cretacea, Matthiola fragrans, Salvia austriaca, Serratula tanait-ica), 5 species of them (Amanita vittadinii, Elytrigia stipifolia, Jurinea cretacea, Matthiola fragrans, Serratula tanaitica) have a federal protection status.

Biosensing the Presence of Metal Nanoparticles by Spectrally- and Time-Resolved Endogenous Fluorescence in Water Moss Fontinalis antipyretica

Pollution by heavy metals represents a significant environmental burden. We employed confocal microscopy with spectral detection and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to evaluate the effect of nanoparticles (NPs) from various metals (Zinc, Nickel, Cobalt, Copper) on endogenous fluorescence of Fontinalis antipyretica moss. Short term (3–5 day) exposure to NPs, designed and fabricated by direct synthesis using femtosecond laser ablation in water, was studied. The green flavonoid and/or lignin endogenous fluorescence peaking between 500 and 560 nm was found to be increased by Zn and significantly reduced by Cu. The overall red chlorophyll fluorescence intensity with a maximum of 680 nm remained largely unchanged after exposure to Ni and Zn, but was decreased in the presence of Co and completely abolished by Cu. All NPs but Zn induced changes in the fluorescence lifetimes, demonstrating increased sensitivity of this parameter to environmental pollution. Gathered data indicate fast responsiveness of the endogenous fluorescence in the Fontinalis antipyretica moss to the presence of heavy metals that can thus potentially serve as a biosensing tool for monitoring environmental pollution in the moss natural environment.

Effect of Current Velocity on Cd Accumulation in the Aquatic Moss Fontinalis antipyretica

With the aim of further standardizing biomonitoring techniques with aquatic mosses, the relationship between the velocity of water flow and cadmium (Cd) accumulation in transplants of the moss Fontinalis antipyretica was investigated. For this purpose, moss transplants were exposed in a controlled aquatic environment to different concentrations of Cd (0, 4, 16 and 36 ng g−1) and different water velocities (10, 30, 50, 70 and 90 cm s−1). The Cd concentrations in the moss transplants mainly depended on the Cd concentration in the water, but a small fraction of the variance was explained by water velocity. The Cd concentrations in moss were standardized to remove the effect of the concentration in the water so all the data could be analyzed together. The regression model for the standardized concentrations explained 23% of the variance in Cd accumulation in F. antipyretica and water velocity proved to be a significant predictor of Cd accumulation.

Can Biomarkers Respond Upon Freshwater Pollution?-A Moss-Bag Approach.

Simple SummaryPollution of the aquatic environment is a well-known problem with a long history. Monitoring water quality relies on biota in order to provide adequative assessment and management of the water bodies. Among the different biological indicators applied, aquatic macrophytes, and particularly mosses, are in direct relationship with the environment and their use as biomonitors is well documented. In the current study, we made an attempt to apply new fast, reliable and comprehensible methods for water pollution control. Three reservoirs were selected for the following reasons: (i) they were polluted with hazardous substances (heavy metals and organic material) and (ii) they are used for fish farming and irrigation and their water quality directly affects human health. Moss-bags with the selected biomonitor Fontinalis antipyretica were exposed in the reservoirs for a period of 30 days and molecular, chemical and micromorphological markers were studied. All biomarkers tested appeared to be sensitive to the pollution. This research provided a basis for further studies on selected biomarkers towards standardization.Moss-bags were applied to study the effect of contamination in three standing water bodies in Bulgaria (Kardzhali, Studen Kladenets and Zhrebchevo Reservoirs), the first two with old industrial contamination and the last polluted with short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs). Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. collected from background (unpolluted) site was placed in cages for a period of 30 days. The present study examined whether inorganic and organic pollution detected with moss-bags resulted in corresponding differences in molecular, chemical and micromorphological markers. Suppressed large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) expression was assessed in moss-bags from two of the reservoirs, contaminated with heavy metals. There was a decrease of the total phenolic content (TPC) in the moss-bags, which provides a basis for further studies of the chemical content of aquatic mosses. Fontinalis antipyretica also showed a response through leaf micromorphological characteristics. In the all three reservoirs, an increase of the twig leaf cell number was recorded (p ≤ 0.01 for Kardzhali and p ≤ 0.001 for Studen Kladenets and Zhrebchevo reservoirs), as well as of the stem leaf cell number in Zhrebchevo Reservoir (p ≤ 0.001). On the contrary, the width of the cells decreased in the studied anthropogenically impacted reservoirs. All three studied groups of biomarkers (molecular, chemical and micromorphological) appeared to be sensitive to freshwater pollution. The results achieved indicated that rbcL gene expression, TPC, cell number and size are promising biomonitoring tools.

Long-term trends and speciation of artificial radionuclides in two submerged macrophytes of the Yenisei River: A comparative study of Potamogeton lucens and Fontinalis antipyretica

Long-term trends of artificial radionuclides, from 2003 to 2018, in two abundant species of macrophytes, shining pondweed, Potamogeton lucens, and water moss, Fontinalis antipyretica, have been analyzed to estimate the indicative reliability of these two species as biomonitors of radioactive contamination in a river system and to quantify the decrease in the content of artificial radionuclides in the Yenisei River. Time-dependent trends of artificial radionuclides in the biomass of these species were similar, resulting in estimates of effective half-lives for 54Mn, 58Co, 60Co, 65Zn, 137Cs, and 152Eu similar for both species. Concentrations of artificial radionuclides in biomass of shining pondweed and water moss correlated with annual discharges of the radionuclides to the Yenisei at different levels of significance, and the strongest (R2 > 0.7) positive correlation (p < 0.05) was obtained for 60Co, 65Zn, and 152Eu. Concentrations of 60Co, 137Cs, and 152Eu in water moss were 2–7.5 times higher than in shining pondweed, and considerable percentages of those isotopes were recorded in extracellular particulate matter, which was largely represented by epiphytic diatoms. Higher concentrations of artificial radionuclides in the biomass of water moss can be considered as an advantage of water moss as a monitor of radioactive contamination of the Yenisei, while shining pondweed is more useful for estimation of annual deposits of radionuclides in vegetation of the Yenisei and spatial transfer of radionuclides downstream of the discharge site. Despite differences in concentrations of artificial radionuclides, both species can be considered as reliable indicators of radioactive contamination of the river on a long-term scale.

Draft genome of the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica (Fontinalaceae, Bryophyta).

Mosses comprise one of three lineages forming a sister group to extant vascular plants. Having emerged from an early split in the diversification of embryophytes, mosses may offer complementary insights into the evolution of traits following the transition to, and colonization of, land. Here, we report the draft nuclear genome of Fontinalis antipyretica (Fontinalaceae, Hypnales), a charismatic aquatic moss that is widespread in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced and de novo-assembled its genome using the 10X Genomics method. The genome comprises 385.2Mbp, with a scaffold N50 of 45.8Kbp. The assembly captured 87.2% of the 430 genes in the BUSCO Viridiplantae odb10 dataset. The newly generated F. antipyretica genome is the third moss genome, and the second seedless aquatic plant genome, to be sequenced and assembled to date.

Optimization of the Biomonitoring Technique with the Aquatic Moss Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw.: Selection of Shoot Segment Length for Determining Trace Element Concentrations

Bryophytes, including Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw., are widely used for biomonitoring aquatic environments. However, some methodological aspects, such as the fraction of shoot analysed, have not yet been standardized. The main objective of this study was to establish the length of segments of F. antipyretica shoots that should be used for trace element determination in monitoring studies. For this purpose, we determined the concentrations of 12 different trace elements (11 metals and one metalloid) in five successive 1 cm-long segments of the shoots of F. antipyretica collected from four different locations. We found that the concentrations of most elements increased steadily towards the basal part of the shoots without becoming stable. Sometimes, these increasing trends were concealed by another underlying trend of increasing dry/fresh weight ratios, caused by morphological changes (leaf density, shoot thickness) related with shoot development. The concentration trends were due to factors such as the deposition of Mn oxides on the moss surface. This element showed the largest increases in concentration towards the basal part of the shoot and its concentrations were closely correlated with those of most of the other elements. Considering the results obtained, we recommend the use of 3 cm-long apical segments for determining trace element concentrations in F. antipyretica. This recommendation is based on the following: (1) The change in dry weight beyond this length of segment is small; (2) the workload and the quantity of material to collect in the river is acceptable; (3) Most previous studies have used shoot segments of similar lengths.

Long-established and new active biomonitors jointly reveal potentially toxic element gradients across spatial scales in freshwater ecosystems

At the core of the adaptive ecosystem management paradigm, environmental monitoring, especially using biomonitors, mandates the search for tools and approaches to overcome its current limitations, both in terms of novel species and analytical techniques to extract information from the data. In this context, a large field biomonitoring study was performed in order to validate a candidate active biomonitor, the macrophytic alga Chara gymnophylla, using a long-established biomonitor (the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica) as reference, innovative spatial analysis approaches and the area of two of the main freshwater ecosystems of the “Cilento Vallo di Diano e Alburni” National Park as experimental setting. Specifically, the concentrations of 19 potentially toxic elements (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Si, V, Zn) in 3 alga and 3 moss bags placed in each of 41 sites along the Bussento and Calore Salernitano rivers were analyzed. The coherence of element gradients between biomonitors, the spatial heterogeneity in element distribution and their spatial scales were evaluated using robust multivariate approaches, random models and spectral decomposition of the spatial gradients. Results demonstrate the substantial uniformity in responses between the biomonitors, both showing similar element spatial distributions, within and between-site variability, the same spatial connectivity and spatial variations at similar scales. On the one hand, the approach adopted and the findings obtained allow definitely validating Ch. gymnophylla as a novel active biomonitor of potentially toxic elements in freshwater ecosystems and, on the other hand, deriving clear contamination scenarios, with indication of the alleged sources.

Integrated Monitoring with Moss-Bag and Mussel Transplants in Reservoirs

For the first time, transplants with moss-bags and mussels together were applied to study the water quality in standing water bodies. The tested species: Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. and Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) were collected from unpolluted sites and analyzed to obtain background levels. Then, the moss and mussels were left in cages for a period of 30 days in three reservoirs where both are not present naturally. Two of the reservoirs suffer from old industrial contamination and one is affected by untreated wastes. Twenty-four compounds were studied, among them trace elements Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and organic priority substances: six polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) congeners and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs). The trace element accumulation was significant after the exposition period in all studied stations. PBDEs and SCCPs were also accumulated up to two times more in the moss tissues. PBDEs in the mussels exceeded the environmental quality standard (EQS). The applied combined transplants, and especially the moss-bags, revealed severe contamination with heavy metals not detected by the water samples. The moss and the mussel followed a different model of trace element and PBDEs accumulation. The SCCPs levels were alarmingly high in all plant samples. The study confirmed PBDEs and SCCPs as bioaccumulative compounds and suggested that an EQS for SCCPs in biota needs to be established.

Biomonitoring of radioactive contamination of the Yenisei River using aquatic plants

The Yenisei River is contaminated by artificial radionuclides released by one of the Russian facilities producing weapons-grade plutonium (the Mining-and-Chemical Combine, MCC), which has been in operation for 60 years. The paper presents results of long-term monitoring of radionuclide concentrations in six aquatic plant species collected from the 1400 km Yenisei River stretch downstream of the city of Krasnoyarsk. Before the last MCC reactor was shut down (in 2010), up to 30 artificial radionuclides were detected in the plant biomass, and 2 and 5 years after the reactor shutdown, 11 and 3–5 radionuclides, respectively, were detected. The highest concentrations of radionuclides were recorded in Fontinalis antipyretica. The aquatic plant Elodea canadensis, which commonly occurs in the Yenisei River, was used in the cytogenetic study. High frequencies of chromosomal aberrations (up to 33%) were revealed in cells of Elodea canadensis roots from the Yenisei region affected by the MCC radioactive discharge, at dose rates of 45–72 μGy/d, while in the cells of the plant roots from the reference areas, the frequency of chromosomal aberrations was 5–7%, at dose rates below 2 μGy/d. The higher frequencies of chromosomal aberrations in Elodea canadensis collected from the parts of the River with increased concentrations of artificial radionuclides are associated with the radiation factor. The aquatic plant Elodea canadensis can be recommended as a bio-indicator for radioactively contaminated aquatic ecosystems.

All for One: The Role of Colony Morphology in Bryophyte Desiccation Tolerance.

In the last decade, several works showed that even bryophytes from aquatic environments, if slowly dehydrated, can cope with desiccation in a response like the one from desert bryophytes. This led to the hypothesis that, if bryophytes from contrasting habitats can have similar responses, desiccation tolerance (DT) is partially inductive and not only constitutive as previously proposed and, therefore, colony morphology might be the key trait responsible for controlling dehydration rate essential for DT induction. Morphology and life form may be determinant traits in the adaptation of bryophytes to habitats with different water availabilities and corresponding predicted levels in the DT inducibility spectrum. Bryophytes from habitats with different water availabilities were dried as individual shoots and as a colony. The bryophyte Fontinalis antipyretica is fully aquatic presenting a streamer life form, while the three terrestrial species present turf life form with different sizes and degrees of space between individuals in the colony. Two species were collected under trees with moist soil presenting short turf (Tortella tortuosa) and long turf (Campylopus pyriformis) life forms. Another species was completely exposed to sun light with no surrounding trees and a tall turf life form (Pleurochaete squarrosa). We used chlorophyll a fluorescence parameter Fv/Fm (maximum potential quantum efficiency of Photosystem II) as a proxy to photosynthetic fitness throughout the contrasting dehydration rates (fast and slow). These bryophytes with different life forms were submitted to an X-ray computed microtomography (µ-XCT) to assess the three-dimensional inner structure and visualize locations for water storage. Shoots dried slow or fast according to the dehydration they were exposed to, as expected, but they presented similar dehydration rates across different species. However, the aquatic moss F. antipyretica, was unable to recover from fast drying, and after 24 h the recovery following slow drying was lower than the other species. The other three species presented full recovery after 24 h, either at the individual or colony level, and either from slow or fast drying. The only exception was the colonies of Campylopus pyriformis following fast drying that presented a slightly lower recovery, probably due to a looser colony structure.

Acclimation of Bryophytes to Sun Conditions, in Comparison to Shade Conditions, Is Influenced by Both Photosynthetic and Ultraviolet Radiations.

We studied the acclimation modalities of bryophytes to sun and shade under ambient or close-to-ambient conditions, measuring variables usually influenced by photosynthetically active (PAR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiations. Our aim was to elucidate to what extent the responses to changing radiations were influenced by PAR and UV wavelengths. For this aim, we used three taxonomically and structurally different species: the thalloid liverwort Marchantia polymorpha subsp. polymorpha, the leafy liverwort Jungermannia exsertifolia subsp. cordifolia, and the moss Fontinalis antipyretica. In the field, liverworts were more radiation-responsive than the moss, and the thalloid liverwort was more responsive than the leafy liverwort. Sun plants of M. polymorpha showed, in comparison to shade plants, higher sclerophylly, lower Chl a + b contents, higher Chl a/b ratios, higher (antheraxanthin + zeaxanthin)/(violaxanthin + antheraxanthin + zeaxanthin) ratios (xanthophyll index), lower Fv/Fm values, higher contents of methanol-soluble vacuolar UV-absorbing compounds (soluble UVACs), higher values of the ratio between the contents of methanol-insoluble cell wall-bound UVACs (insoluble UVACs) and soluble UVACs, higher contents of soluble luteolin and apigenin derivatives and riccionidin A, and higher contents of insoluble p-coumaric and ferulic acids. Overall, these responses reduced light absorption, alleviated overexcitation, increased photoprotection through non-photochemical energy dissipation, increased UV protection through UV screening and antioxidant capacity, and denoted photoinhibition. J. exsertifolia showed moderate differences between sun and shade plants, while responses of F. antipyretica were rather diffuse. The increase in the xanthophyll index was the most consistent response to sun conditions, occurring in the three species studied. The responses of soluble UVACs were generally clearer than those of insoluble UVACs, probably because insoluble UVACs are relatively immobilized in the cell wall. These modalities of radiation acclimation were reliably summarized by principal components analysis. Using the most radiation-responsive species in the field (M. polymorpha), we found, under close-to-ambient greenhouse conditions, that sclerophylly and Chl a + b content were only influenced by PAR, Fv/Fm, and luteolin and apigenin derivatives were only determined by UV, and xanthophyll index was influenced by both radiation types. Thus, responses of bryophytes to radiation can be better interpreted considering the influence of both PAR and UV radiation.

Developing a Biotechnological Tool for Monitoring Water Quality: In Vitro Clone Culture of the Aquatic Moss Fontinalis Antipyretica

One of the main factors limiting active biomonitoring with aquatic mosses is the lack of sufficient material. A laboratory culture of the moss would solve this problem and thus convert the technique into a valuable biotechnological tool for monitoring water quality. With this aim, we first established small and large scale axenic in vitro culture systems for the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica. We then attempted to enhance the growth rate of the cultures by modifying temperature, photoperiod and medium composition (N:P ratio, P concentration, CO2 supply, NH4NO3 supply and sucrose supply). None of these modifications greatly increased the in vitro growth rate. However, the growth rates were sufficiently high (relative to the initial weight of the cultures) in both systems (45 and 6 mg·day−1·g−1 for flasks and bioreactors respectively) to enable the production of large amounts of material. The ability to culture the material will substantially improve the applicability of the moss bag technique.

Biomonitoring freshwater FISH farms by measuring nitrogen concentrations and the δ15N signal in living and devitalized moss transplants

The trophic balance of freshwater aquaculture activities has traditionally been monitored by chemical analysis of water; however, the parameters measured are usually characterized by high temporal variability. Aquatic mosses can be used as biomonitors as they integrate both continuous and episodic contamination events. Here we report, for the first time, a method for monitoring N enrichment in the surroundings of fish farms by measuring the N content and isotopic signal (δ15N) of transplanted living and devitalized specimens of the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica. For this purpose, moss samples (“moss bags”) were exposed at increasing distances (10, 100, 300 and 1000 m) up- and downstream of the effluent discharge points of four trout farms, for 10 and 30 days. The low natural (background) variability in δ15N in upstream samples enabled detection of outlier values, caused by aquaculture discharges, at distances of 10 and 100 m downstream, especially in devitalized moss and after 10 days of exposure. However, the unexpectedly low N contents of moss samples exposed close to the discharge points complicates interpretation of the high levels of N forms detected by conventional physicochemical analysis of water. Although the mechanisms that modify N parameters in moss tissues were not clear, measurement of the isotopic signal δ15N in devitalized moss exposed for 10 days proved useful for monitoring the N pollution associated with intensive freshwater aquaculture.

Improving active biomonitoring in aquatic environments: The optimal number and position of moss bags

The present study was carried out to determine the optimal number of moss bags of Fontinalis antipyretica required for biomonitoring stream water pollutants. With this aim, we examined the variability in the concentrations of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in 50 moss bags exposed in 4 different stream sampling sites (SS). In general, there were no significant differences in the element concentrations between groups of moss bags (n = 5), either along the 50 m length of each stream, or between the different sides of the streams. Considering errors of 10, 15 and 20%, the maximum number of moss bags required to estimate the mean tissue concentrations of the elements at the SS was respectively 26, 11 and 6. For most of the pairs of SS and elements studied, 5 or fewer moss bags were sufficient to differentiate between the mean concentrations. These findings allow us to conclude that a greater number of moss bags (at least 6) than those generally used until present should be utilized for biomonitoring water pollution with aquatic bryophytes.

The added value of bryophytes and macroalgae in ecological assessment of lakes

Bryophytes and macroalgae have frequently been used as indicators of trace elements and organic pollutants, but their potential as indicators of eutrophication has not been accurately evaluated. Here, I used frequency data of aquatic macrophytes (vascular plants, charophytes, bryophytes and macroalgae) from 233 Swedish lakes to assess the additive value of bryophytes and macroalgae for the assessment of ecological status in lakes. Applying an established approach for boundary setting of total phosphorous (Tot-P) concentrations, 18 of the studied 31 macroalgae and bryophyte species (58.1%) were classified as sensitive species, two as indifferent (6.5%) and 11 as tolerant species (35.5%). Several cryptogam species showed sudden drops in their frequency along the Tot-P gradient (e.g. Aegagropila linnaei, Drepanocaldus sordius and Fontinalis antipyretica). The correlation between a macrophyte-based trophic index and Tot-P concentrations was only marginally higher when calculated with compared to without macroalgae and bryophytes. However, the differences between the trophic index calculated with and without these species, respectively, was significantly higher at Tot-P concentrations <35μgl−1. The here presented results suggest macroalgae and bryophytes as important indicators of eutrophication. Hence, they should be routinely integrated into monitoring and ecological assessment of lakes.

Trace elements in native and transplanted Fontinalis antipyretica and Platyhypnidium riparioides from rivers polluted by uranium mining

The past uranium/polymetallic mining activities in the Sudety (SW Poland) left abandoned mines, pits, and dumps of waste rocks with trace elements and radionuclides which may erode or leach out and create a potential risk for the aquatic ecosystem, among others. In the present work four rivers affected by effluents from such mines were selected to evaluate the application of aquatic mosses for the bioindication of 56 elements. Naturally growing F. antipyretica and P. riparioides were compared with transplanted samples of the same species. The results demonstrate serious pollution of the examined rivers, especially with As, Ba, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ti, U and Zn, reaching extremely high concentrations in native moss samples. In the most polluted rivers native F. antipyretica and P. riparioides samples showed significantly higher concentrations of As, Ba, Cu, Fe, La, Nd, Ni, Pb, U and Zn than corresponding transplanted samples, whereas at less polluted sites a reverse situation was sometimes observed. Transplanted moss moved from clean to extremely polluted rivers probably protects itself against the accumulation of toxic elements by reducing their uptake. Selection of native or transplanted F. antipyretica and P. riparioides depended on the pollution load.

Uranium accumulation in aquatic macrophytes in an uraniferous region: Relevance to natural attenuation

Phytoremediation potential of uranium (U) was investigated by submerged, free-floating and rooted emergent native aquatic macrophytes inhabiting along the streams of Horta da Vilariça, a uraniferous geochemical region of NE Portugal. The work has been undertaken with the following objectives: (i) to relate the U concentrations in water–sediment–plant system; and (ii) to identify the potentialities of aquatic plants to remediate U-contaminated waters based on accumulation pattern. A total of 25 plant species culminating 233 samples was collected from 15 study points along with surface water and contiguous sediments. Concentrations of U showed wide range of variations both in waters (0.61–5.56 μg L−1, mean value 1.98 μg L−1) and sediments (124–23,910 μg kg−1, mean value 3929 μg kg−1) and this is also reflected in plant species examined. The plant species exhibited the ability to accumulate U several orders of magnitude higher than the surrounding water. Maximum U concentrations was recorded in the bryophyte Scorpiurium deflexifolium (49,639 μg kg−1) followed by Fontinalis antipyretica (35,771 μg kg−1), shoots of Rorippa sylvestris (33,837 μg kg−1), roots of Oenanthe crocata (17,807 μg kg−1) as well as in Nasturtium officinale (10,995 μg kg−1). Scorpiurium deflexifolium displayed a high bioconcentration factor (BF) of ∼2.5 × 104 (mean value). The species Fontinalis antipyretica, Nasturtium officinale (roots) and Rorippa sylvestris (shoots) exhibited the mean BFs of 1.7 × 104, 5 × 103 and 4.8 × 103 respectively. Maximum translocation factor (TF) was very much pronounced in the rooted perennial herb Rorippa sylvestris showing extreme ability to transport U for the shoots and seems to be promising candidate to be used as bioindicator species.