title: Guidelines for biomonitoring persistent organic pollutants (POPs), using lichens and aquatic mosses--a review.
abstract: During the last decades, awareness regarding persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has become a cutting-edge topic, due to their toxicity, bioaccumulation and persistency in the environment. Monitoring of PCDD/Fs and PAHs in air and water has proven to be insufficient to capture deposition and effects of these compounds in the biota. To overcome this limitation, environmental biomonitoring using lichens and aquatic mosses, have aroused as promising tools. The main aim of this work is to provide a review of: i) factors that influence the interception and accumulation of POPs by lichens; ii) how lichens and aquatic bryophytes can be used to track different pollution sources and; iii) how can these biomonitors contribute to environmental health studies. This review will allow designing a set of guidelines to be followed when using biomonitors to assess environmental POP pollution.
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Campo Grande, C2, Piso 5, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal. Electronic address: s.augusto@fc.ul.pt.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Augusto
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Máguas
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Branquinho
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D044002:Bryophyta / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D014873:Water Pollutants
keywords: Air pollution; Bioindicator; Biomonitor; Human health; POP