Best options for the exposure of traditional and innovative moss bags: A systematic evaluation in three European countries.
To develop an internationally standardized protocol for the moss bag technique application, the research team participating in the FP7 European project "MOSSclone" focused on the optimization of the moss bags exposure in terms of bag characteristics (shape of the bags, mesh size, weight/surface ratio), duration and height of exposure by comparing traditional moss bags to a new concept bag, "Mossphere". In particular, the effects of each variable on the metal uptake from the air were evaluated by a systematic experimental design carried out in urban, industrial, agricultural and background areas of three European countries with oceanic, Mediterranean and continental climate. The results evidenced that the shape, the mesh size of the bags and the exposure height (in the tested ranges), did not significantly influence the uptake capacity of the transplanted moss. The aspects more affecting the element uptake were represented by the density of the moss inside the bags and the relative ratio between its weight and the surface area of the bag. We found that, the lower the density, the higher the uptake recorded. Moreover, three weeks of exposure were not enough to have a consistent uptake signal in all the environments tested, thus we suggest an exposure period not shorter than 6 weeks, which is appropriate in most situations. The above results were confirmed in all the countries and scenarios tested. The adoption of a shared exposure protocol by the research community is strongly recommended since it is a key aspect to make biomonitoring surveys directly comparable, also in view of its recognition as a monitoring method by the EU legislation.
Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Napoli, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
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Capozzi
Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Napoli, Italy. Electronic address: giordano@unina.it.
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Giordano
Department of Cellular Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Aboal
Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, 80055 Portici (NA), Italy.
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Adamo
Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy.
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Bargagli
Department of Cellular Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Boquete
Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, 80055 Portici (NA), Italy.
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Di Palma
Department of Cellular Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Real
Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; BIOSS - Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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Reski
Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Napoli, Italy.
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Spagnuolo
GLORIA-Coordination, Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences & Center for Global Change and Sustainability, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Austria.
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Steinbauer
Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
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Tretiach
BIOVIA Consultor Ambiental, Edificio Emprendia, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Varela
Dept. Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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Zechmeister
Department of Cellular Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Fernández
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D044002:Bryophyta; D002980:Climate; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D005060:Europe; D038622:Internationality; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*
D000393:Air Pollutants; D008670:Metals
Active biomonitoring; Air pollution; Moss uptake; Mossphere; Pseudoscleropodium purum; Trace elements