title: Preliminary insights into δ15N and δ18O of nitrate in natural mosses: a new application of the denitrifier method.
abstract: Natural mosses have been employed as reactive and accumulative indicators of atmospheric pollutants. Using the denitrifier method, the concentration, δ(15)N and δ(18)O of moss nitrate (NO(3)(-)) were measured to elucidate the sources of NO(3)(-) trapped in natural mosses. Oven drying at 55-70 °C, not lyophilization, was recommended to dry mosses for NO(3)(-) analyses. An investigation from urban to mountain sites in western Tokyo suggested that moss [NO(3)(-)] can respond to NO(3)(-) availability in different habitats. NO(3)(-) in terricolous mosses showed isotopic ratios as close to those of soil NO(3)(-), reflecting the utilization of soil NO(3)(-). Isotopic signatures of NO(3)(-) in corticolous and epilithic mosses elucidated atmospheric NO(3)(-) sources and strength from the urban (vehicle NO(x) emission) to mountain area (wet-deposition NO(3)(-)). However, mechanisms and isotopic effects of moss NO(3)(-) utilization must be further verified to enable the application of moss NO(3)(-) isotopes for source identification.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koba
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takebayashi
authors.forename: Cong-Qiang
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yun-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Muneoki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoh
mesh_terms: D044002:Bryophyta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D058440:Denitrification; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009566:Nitrates; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes