Pilot study on road traffic emissions (PAHs, heavy metals) measured by using mosses in a tunnel experiment in Vienna, Austria

Abstract

The results of this pilot-study proved the feasibility of the method, however, should be corroborated by further investigations based on a sample set that allows for generalization of the findings and might even include other moss species. A comparison of technical measurements with the biomonitoring method could lead to a more general acceptance of the results.

Evaluation Of The Usefulness Of Spider Webs As An Air Quality Monitoring Tool For Heavy Metals

“…What is more, heavy metals present in combustion products constitute one of the most important group polluting the environment and affecting the human health. Typically mosses, lichens or plant leafs are used for estimating ambient air pollution caused by traffic [1][2][3]. As spider webs capture airborne particulates it has been proved that they could be a useful and original indicator of the environment pollution [4][5][6][7].…”

Accounting for canopy drip effects of spatiotemporal trends of the concentrations of N in mosses, atmospheric N depositions and critical load exceedances: a case study from North-Western Germany

“…Soilinhabiting ectohydric mosses thereby turned out to be particularly suitable for the inventory of elements on different spatial scales [3][4][5][6][7] since they have rhizoids serving for anchorage but not for water and mineral uptake. The application of mosses as biological samplers for dry, occult and wet atmospheric deposition has several advantages: in addition to the long-term accumulation of atmospheric deposition without physiological damages, this method is cost effective and time saving.…”

The occurrence and source evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban atmosphere using moss as biomonitor and GC-MS analysis

“…After their atmospheric transportation and dry or wet deposition, processes that are strongly dependent on the relationship between vapor pressure and molecular weight [11], PAHs tend to accumulate in vegetation. Biomonitoring of PAHs on plants gained popularity in the last four decades [12][13][14][15]. The application of moss as passive accumulator for PAHs is widespread in so-called air quality assessment studies, because of (i) their strong presence at the local scale, (ii) their relative cost-effective methodology (compared to physicalchemical approach) [15], (iii) their morphological and physiological properties [16][17].…”