Is Active Moss Biomonitoring Comparable to Air Filter Standard Sampling?

Abstract

Recently, significant attention has been paid to air quality awareness and its impact on human health, especially in urban agglomerations. Many types of dust samplers for air quality monitoring are used by governmental environmental monitoring agencies. However, these techniques are associated with high costs; as a consequence, biological methods such as active moss biomonitoring are being developed. The main disadvantages of such techniques are the lack of standardization of the preparation procedures and the lack of reliable comparisons of results with data from instrumental analyses. Our study aimed to compare the results obtained from active biomonitoring with the use of three moss species: Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum fallax and Dicranum polysetum. Samples were exposed via the moss-bag technique to measure the concentrations of analytes (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb) which had accumulated among the total suspended particulates (TSP) collected from the filters of a dust collector in the city of Opole (Opole voivodeship, Poland). With regard to the physicochemical and biological traits of the mosses, their assessed lifetime and actual photochemical efficiency (yield) following exposure were meagre, which may have been related to the change of environment and their exposure to pollutants. When comparing the results obtained by the two methods used to monitor air pollution, the biomonitoring method was found to be incompletely consistent with the reference method. Biological monitoring using mosses must be carefully considered depending on the monitoring objectives, the required level of sensitivity and quality of measurement and the type of pollutant.

Reducing Outdoor Air Pollutants through a Moss-Based Biotechnological Purification Filter in Kazakhstan

“…Notably, the absorption of pollution by moss was assumed to linearly occur. However, other research [9] has suggested that the absorption of polluting substances by moss generally follows a non-linear pattern. The model calculated the spread of pollution, assuming that pollution levels would be averaged out in neighboring subregions defined by a hexagonal grid.…”

“…Moss is an intriguing plant known for its capacity to achieve a high level of air purification, particularly under conditions of stable temperature and humidity. Previous research [9] outlined a moss biomonitoring method utilizing three moss types: Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum fallax, and Dicranum polysetum. This method involved measuring the concentration of analytes (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, and Pb) accumulated within the total suspended particulate matter collected from dust collector filters in Opole (Opole Voivodeship, Poland).…”

“…In turn, the light sensor (2), air temperature and humidity sensor (3), and sawdust meter PM 2.5-10 (4) were connected to the input channels of controller 1, the output channels of which were connected through intermediate relays to the cooling system/air conditioner (5), heat generator/heating system (6), air humidifier (7), LED lamp 8, air pumping fan (9) and drip irrigation pump (10). A universal controller based on a Cortex A57 was used as a programmable log controller (1), a GY-30 (BH1750FVI, I2C) as a light sensor (2), a Temperature and Humidity Transmitter FGHGF as a temperature and humidity sensor (3), a PMS5003 high-precision laser sensor pm2.5 as a sawdust meter (4), a Midea MPPDA09CRN7 as a cooling/conditioning system (5), a Ballu B heating system IH-LW-1.2 as a heat generator (6), a Deerma DEM-F500 as a humidifier (7), FitoLED 20 bicolor equipment as lighting lamps (8), a channel fan with three speeds as an air pumping fan (9), and a Magnetta 1AWZB550 as a drip irrigation pump (10). The conceptual model of the data exchange and management of the biotechnological filter is presented in Figure 5.…”