USE OF MOSS ANALYSES IN REGIONAL AND LOCAL BIO-MONITORING IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Besides determining the element concentrations in moss Pleurozium schreberi (Fig. 1) at the scale of the Czech Republic for national and international moss monitoring campaigns, we have also determined the element concentrations in moss at a fine scale to delimit the borders of hot spots or to specify accumulated elements in moss in the surroundings of local pollution sources.

• Delimiting the area affected by Hg accumulation in moss in the Tachov district (1997-1998)

The national biomonitoring campaign in 1995/1996 bioindicated an area of increased Hg concentrations in moss in the Tachov district (SW Bohemia). Additional determination of Hg in moss Pleurozium schreberi collected at 18 sites in the area did not reveal the operation of a local pollution source [1]. However, increased concentrations of Hg in moss in the area were again bioindicated in the national biomonitoring campaign in 2000/2001.

[1] Suchara I., Sucharová J. (2000): Mezinárodní program monitorování aktuální atmosférické depozice prvků.- Výr. Zpr., Projekt 0211, MZPN0102, ms., VÚOZ Průhonice, 27 p.

• Determining the concentration of 36 elements in moss around the town of Příbram (1998)

After the introduction of a new technology in the Kovohutě Příbram secondary lead smelter (1996–1997) the concentrations of Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, In, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sr, Th, Tl, U, V, Y and Zn were determined in moss Pleurozium schreberi and in humus (O_h) at 56 sites around the smelter. High concentrations of Ag, Cd, In, Pb, Zn were found in a 2-km radius around the smelter (Fig. 2). Another hot spot of high concentration of Al, Ce, lanthanides, U, etc. was found around a mill for grinding stones from the former uranium pits near Haje (Fig. 3). A zone of high concentrations of Mo revealed near Komárov was caused by local emissions of Mo from a plant producing piston rings. For more details see [2] or [3].

[2] Sucharová J. et al. (1999): Multielementární analýzy mechu a humusu v okolí Příbrami.- Dílčí Záv. Zpráva, Projekt VaV/610/3/97, ms., VÚOZ Průhonice, 104 p.

[3] Sucharová J., Suchara I. (2004): Distribution of 36 element deposition rates in a historic mining and smelting area as determined through fine-scale biomonitoring techniques. Part I: Relative and absolute current atmospheric deposition levels detected through moss analyses.- Water Air Soil Pollut. 153: 205–228.

• Detecting element concentrations in moss in south Moravia (2002-2003)

The national biomonitoring campaigns indicated high element concentrations in moss in south Moravia due to high deposition loads of soil particles eroded in the area. In order to delimit the most affected area, the concentrations of Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, In, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pr, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sr, Th, Tl, U, V, Y and Zn were determined in moss Hypnum cupressiforme collected at 42 and 63 sites in 2002 and 2003, respectively ([4], [5]). The investigated area is depicted in Fig. 4.

[4] Sucharová J. et al. (2002): Biomonitorování obsahu 35 prvků v mechu a humusu jako podklad pro upřesnění distribuce vysokých atmosférických úrovní spadu na jižní Moravě.- Výr. Zpr., Projekt VaV/640/1/00, ms., VÚKOZ Průhonice, 32 p.

[5] Sucharová J. et al. (2003): Stanovení obsahu prvků v půdě a mechu jako podklad pro upřesnění distribuce vysokých atmosférických úrovní spadu sledovaných prvků na jižní Moravě.- Výr. Zpr., Projekt VaV/640/1/00, ms., VÚKOZ Průhonice, 116 p.

• Determining the Hg distribution in moss around the Spolana chlor-alkali plant, Neratovice (2004)

After a catastrophic flood in 2002, high contamination near a chlor-alkali plant near Neratovice was anticipated. In a 12-km radius around the plant, we determined the concentrations of total Hg in moss (Hypnum cupressiforme) collected at 18 sites. Increased concentrations of Hg were found in the moss samples in the vicinity of the plant, but the hot spot pattern was not identical with the pattern of the flooded zone ([6], [7] and Fig. 5).

[6] Sucharová J., Suchara I. (2004): Sledování aktuálních, starých a dlouhodobých zátěží území atmosférickými depozicemi pomocí analýz mechu a nadložního humusu.- Výr. Zpr., Projekt 0212, MZPN0102, ms., VÚOZ Průhonice, 21 p.

[7] Suchara I., Sucharová J. (2008): Mercury distribution around the Spolana chlor-alkali plant (central Bohemia, Czech Republic) after a catastrophic flood, as revealed by bioindicators.- Environ. Poll. 151: 352–361.

• Determining the total nitrogen in moss samples archived in herbariums in the Czech Republic (2004-2005)

In order to evaluate the deposition levels of reactive nitrogen in the Czech Republic retrospectively, we analysed moss specimens (Pleurozium schreberi) collected repeatedly from the same areas (e.g., Krkonoše Mts., north Bohemia, south Moravia, etc.) since the 19th century and available in herbariums (in Prague PRM, PRC and in Brno BRNM). A marked trend toward reduced total nitrogen content in moss in the past was determined ([8], Fig. 6).

[8] Suchara I., Sucharová J. (2006): Sloučeniny dusíku v atmosféře, jejich zdroje, depozice, účinky a bioindikace atmosférického spadu.- Ochrana Ovzduší 19, (38), 1: 20–24.

• Determining the element concentrations in moss in the Czech part of the Kralický Sněžník Mts. (2006)

Local geological investigations had revealed increased concentrations of Be and some other elements in brook sediments. To assess the potential income of these elements via atmospheric deposition, we collected moss samples (Pleurozium schreberi) at 17 sites in the area delimited by Králíky, Stříbrnice and Bohdíkov. Determination of Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, In, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pr, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sr, Th, Tl, U, V, Y and Zn did not indicate any increased fall of these elements in the area between 2004 and 2006. The results have not been published.

• Determining of lead concentration and ratios of the stable lead isotopes in moss (2010-2011)

In moss samples (mainly Pleurozium schreberi) collected at 275 moss monitoring plots in the Czech Republic in 2010 were detected the total lead concentrations and concentrations of the stable lead isotopes ²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁶Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb a ²⁰⁸Pb. The isotopic ratios ²⁰⁴Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁸Pb a ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁸Pb enable to determine the crucial natural and anthropogenic sources operating in the Czech Republic and to assess the contaminated area around these sources [9].

[9] Sucharova J. et al. (2014): Contemporary lead concentration and stable lead isotope ratio distribution in forest moss across the Czech Republic.- Applied Geochemistry 40: 51–60.

• Determining contamination of moss near the  highway D1 by selected persistent organic pollutants (2010-2011)

The concentration of selected PCBs and PAHs was determined in forest moss (Pleurozium schreberi) in distance 10, 50 and 100 m from the highway D1 (km 39) and at a reference forest plot situated near the meteorological observatory in Kosetice. In this study various ways of moss treatment efore chemici analysis were tested. The obtained results are available in [10], (Fig. 7).

[10] Sucharová J., Holá M. (2014): PAH and PCB determination of the concentration gradient in moss Pleurozium schreberi near a highway, and seasonal variability at the background reference site.- Intern. J. Environ. Anal. Chem., (DOI:10.1080/03067319.2014.900675).