Inland water quality monitoring with native bryophytes: A methodological review

Debén, S.; Aboal, J.R.; Carballeira, A.; Cesa, Mattia; Real, Carlos; Fernández, J.Á.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.01.015

Cited by 33 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Since the 1980s, biological methods of environmental monitoring have been developed intensively (Wolna-Maruwka et al, 2012;Amini & Kraatz, 2014;Debén et al, 2015;Fennessy et al, 2015;Harvey et al, 2015). Toxicity assessment of samples collected from the environment requires the selection of appropriate biological indicators (Kuczyńska et al, 2003;Uherek et al, 2014;Ibáñez et al, 2015), i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of computer image analysis in a Lemna minor L. bioassay

et al. 2016

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Our study presents a low-cost method (no expensive hardware platforms required) of quantified biomonitoring based on computer image analysis. The negative influence of toxins on surface waters was analysed. The method was verified on widespread freshwater macrophyte Lemna minor to test populations treated with non-ionic detergents. We showed that the proposed automated bioassay has a broad applicability in assessing the negative impacts of aquatic toxicants. This approach enabled fast and precise evaluation of the morphometric parameters of the duckweed test population. We observed that growth rate of L. minor reacts to non-ionic detergents, which is reflected by the change in the surface area. The decrease in the growth of L. minor was revealed at high doses of detergents. This test proved to be highly useful, because it is well repeatable and fast in its implementation. Unlike classical bioassays, the proposed test allows the elimination of measurement errors, resulting from observers' subjectivity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of computer image analysis in a Lemna minor L. bioassay

et al. 2016

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“…Most of these effluents contain toxic substances, like heavy metals and metalloids, which are a considerable threat to the environment [4,5], and human health [6][7][8][9]. As such, looking for a sensitive and effective indicator of water pollution is an important task for scientists and local authorities that can inform decision making and city planning [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bryophytes are well-known bioaccumulators of toxic elements due to its eco-physiology (i.e., rapid absorption and slow desorption of pollutants [10][11][12]), and morphology (bryophytes lack of epidermis that allows them to accumulate toxins present in water [13,14]). Recent studies have shown that some bryophyte species living in contaminated rivers, like the thallose liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L., can be enriched by heavy metals like Cu, Zn, and Cd [12,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, it has been shown that bryophyte communities change with turbidity, water temperature, and pH in the Italian Alps and Apennines [15,16]. Water pollution [10] and level of urbanization [15,[17][18][19][20] also have an impact in other European bryophyte community structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite their great importance as bioindicators and bioaccumulators, most bryophyte studies have been carried out in temperate regions of the world [10]. In Ecuador, most bryophyte studies have been taxonomic in scope [21][22][23][24] and few studies has focused on monitoring water contamination using aquatic macroinvertebrate communities [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bryophyte Communities along a Tropical Urban River Respond to Heavy Metal and Arsenic Pollution

Vásquez

Calva

Morocho

et al. 2019

Water

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Aquatic and rheophilous bryophytes can indicate water pollution as they bioaccumulate toxic water elements. We evaluated (1) bioaccumulation of eight heavy metals and arsenic by Marchantia polymorpha L., and (2) changes in bryophyte community structure, as responses to urban pollution in southern Ecuador. To this end, we registered presence/absence and coverage of submerged bryophytes in 120 quadrats across three zones of the Zamora river inside Loja city, and a control zone in a nearby forest. We found that the concentrations of five (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, and Zn) of the eight chemical elements and arsenic were highest in urban M. polymorpha. Moreover, bryophyte species richness decreased in urban zones. Bryophyte community structure also differed between control and city zones, but no differences were found among city zones. The control zone was composed by a more distinct set of bryophyte species, e.g., an indicator species analysis showed that 16 species had high and significant indicator values for control zone, but only 11 species were indicators of at least one of the three urban zones. We concluded that bryophytes, in general, and M. polymorpha, in particular, can be suitable biomonitors of water quality in tropical urban rivers.

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Influence of the storage procedure on the trace element content measured in the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw

Villares

Vázquez

Real

2023

Water Environment Research

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Aquatic bryophytes have been used as pollution biomonitors for decades. Despite this, sample collection and preparation methods have not been standardized, which makes it difficult to compare the results of different studies. Most times, the samples have to be stored before processing, for example, when many of them are collected in a short time, as occurs in extensive pollution studies. Storage must be done in a way that does not change the pollutant concentrations in the samples. We studied whether the concentrations of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica were affected by three storage procedures: dry at room temperature, fresh (in refrigerator at 6°C), and frozen at −20°C. In addition, we evaluated whether the subsequent washing of the samples affected the concentrations of these elements differently depending on the storage method. Our results showed that the three methods were, in general, adequate since the concentrations did not change, and we did not observe differences between washed and unwashed samples either. Since the simplest method is refrigeration, we concluded that this is the best of them. However, the concentrations of Hg increased steadily over time in the fresh material, probably because of redistribution after volatilization from the basal parts of the mosses. We believe that the respiration of the plants lowered the concentrations of oxygen inside the hermetically sealed bags containing the samples, thus promoting the reduction of the Hg and its posterior volatilization and redistribution. We did not observe interactions between the storage method and the posterior washing of the samples. Practitioner Points We studied the influence of storage procedure on element content in aquatic mosses. The procedures were as follows: dried at room temperature, stored in refrigerator, and frozen. The procedures did not change the element contents, except for Hg in refrigerator. All the procedures seemed suitable, but refrigeration was the simplest one.

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Inland water quality monitoring with native bryophytes: A methodological review

Cited by 33 publications

References 57 publications

The use of computer image analysis in a Lemna minor L. bioassay

The use of computer image analysis in a Lemna minor L. bioassay

Bryophyte Communities along a Tropical Urban River Respond to Heavy Metal and Arsenic Pollution

Influence of the storage procedure on the trace element content measured in the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw

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