The Moss Biomonitoring Method and Neutron Activation Analysis in Assessing Pollution by Trace Elements in Selected Polish National Parks

• DOI: 10.1007/s00244-020-00755-6
• Publication Date: 2020-09-10T08:20:47Z
• Authors: Grzegorz Kosior; Marina Frontasyeva; Zbigniew Ziembik; Inga Zincovscaia; Agnieszka Dołhańc...; Barbara Godzik
• Keywords: Parks, Recreational; Neutron Activation Analysis; 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences; Article; Bryopsida; Trace Elements; 13. Climate action; Air Pollution; Metals, Heavy; 11. Sustainability; Poland; Biological Monitoring; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

AbstractThe concentrations of trace elements in feather mossPleurozium schreberi(Brid.) Mitt. were used to indicate the relative levels of air pollution by trace elements in Polish national parks.Pleurozium schreberiwas collected from nine national parks. The highest concentrations were recorded in the moss samples from the southern and most industrialised part of the country; the lowest from northern and north-eastern Poland. A comparison of data obtained from Polish national parks in the 1970s and 1990s showed a significant decrease in the concentrations of heavy metals. In the linear covariability estimation, thetquantile approach was used for multi-element comparison. A number of positive covariabilities were observed. This is a result of anthropogenic activity and the geochemical characteristics of the local environment, including crust composition to which soil composition is related. The statistical approach oftquantile to study common relationships between element concentrations can be used in the interpretation of biomonitoring research results in similar studies.