title: Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe.
abstract: In recent decades, mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. Although spatial patterns were metal-specific, in 2005 the lowest concentrations of metals in mosses were generally found in Scandinavia, the Baltic States and northern parts of the UK; the highest concentrations were generally found in Belgium and south-eastern Europe. The recent decline in emission and subsequent deposition of heavy metals across Europe has resulted in a decrease in the heavy metal concentration in mosses for the majority of metals. Since 1990, the concentration in mosses has declined the most for arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead and vanadium (52-72%), followed by copper, nickel and zinc (20-30%), with no significant reduction being observed for mercury (12% since 1995) and chromium (2%). However, temporal trends were country-specific with sometimes increases being found.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK. hh@ceh.ac.uk
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harmens
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Norris
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authors.lastname: Steinnes
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authors.lastname: Kubin
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authors.lastname: Piispanen
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authors.lastname: Aleksiayenak
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authors.lastname: Blum
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authors.lastname: Coşkun
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authors.lastname: Dam
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authors.lastname: De Temmerman
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authors.lastname: Fernández
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authors.lastname: Frolova
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authors.lastname: Frontasyeva
authors.forename: L
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authors.lastname: González-Miqueo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grodzińska
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authors.lastname: Jeran
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Korzekwa
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authors.lastname: Krmar
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authors.lastname: Kvietkus
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authors.lastname: Leblond
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authors.lastname: Liiv
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authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Magnússon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mankovská
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pesch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rühling
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Santamaria
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Spiric
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Suchara
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thöni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Urumov
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yurukova
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Zechmeister
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D044002:Bryophyta / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005060:Europe; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D011891:Rain / Q000737:chemistry; D012914:Snow / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy