Accumulation of heavy metals by aquatic mosses. 1: Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw.

Abstract

An account is given of methods developed to monitor heavy metals in rivers by measuring the concentration of these metals in Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. Key features of the standard method recommended include the harvesting of materials from microhabitats with fast current speeds wherever possible, thorough washing in field and laboratory, use of terminal 2-cm lengths of shoot, drying at 1050C and digestion in 2 M HNO 3 . In order to establish the extent to which this species is useful and to provide baseline data with which others can compare their own observations, samples of moss, water and sediments were harvested for analysis from 52 different sites in northern England and Belgium. Significant positive correlations were obtained between Cu and Zn in 2-cm tips and in both (total) water and sediment, but in the case of Cd and Pb only between 2-cm tips and sediment. Multiple stepwise regression was used to quantify the apparent influence of environmental variables. For instance, with Pb in the moss as the dependent variable, significant influences were found for Zn in the moss (+ve) aqueous Mn (+ve) and filtrable reactive phosphate (-ve). Variables which were significant were incorporated in each case into equations to predict the concentration of metal that would be expected if allowance was made for the concentrations of all these variables at each site. In the case of Pb, r 2 = 0.075 for metal in moss versus aqueous metal, whereas r 2 = 0.879 for metal in moss versus the predicted value for metal in moss. This suggests that the lack of correlation between Pb in moss and Pb in water was probably due largely to the influence of other variables. For Cd, the difference was less: r 2 = 0.013 and r 2 = 0.47, respectively. A principal components analysis was also carried out, with measurements of water and moss as the variables ordinated. An example is given of the use of the moss to monitor intermittent Zn pollution in R. Wear.

Bioaccumulations of heavy metals in submerged macrophytes in the mountain river Biała Lądecka (Poland, Sudety Mts.)

“…These values do not differ from the values reported by other researchers for other rivers (Say et al 1983, Ciszewski 2001, Ibragimow et al 2013, Pokorny et al 2013, Jabłońska-Czapla et al 2014.…”

“…There is much more information in the literature concerning F. antipyretica. In our study, the indicated concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr, and Cu in this moss were in the range reported by the following authors (Say et al 1983, Vazquez et al 2004, Gapeeva et al 2010, Gecheva et al 2011, Martinez et al 2011. However, in the case of Hg and Zn, the maximum values given by the authors are much higher than those obtained in our study.…”

“…In the mountain river Bystrzyca and its tributaries (also in the Sudety Mts), Senze et al (2007) found higher amounts of Cu, Ni and Zn (for Cu and Zn -2 times higher), and lower Cd and Pb than we had found in the Biała Lądecka River. On habitats of F. antipyretica, Say et al (1983) found similar amounts of Pb (4.2 μg · dm ) than the same metal levels in the Biała Lądecka River.…”

“…Simić (2007) gives similar values of the physicochemical water parameters of the Rešava River and the Božička River in Serbia, where there were L. fl uviatilis populations. Say et al (1983) noted the results of various authors concerning the pH and electrolytic conductivity of water from the habitats of F. antipyretica and Ranunculus sp. (R. aquatile and R. penicilatus).…”

“…The pH from these sites ranged from 6.5 to 8.1, and the electrolytic conductivity was higher than in the Biała Lądecka River -70-615 μS · cm -1 . During their research Say et al (1983) determined the parameters of water in the places where F. antipyretica was found. At these places, the pH was 7.5 and electrolytic conductivity was 296 μS · cm -1 .…”