Moss biomonitoring technique used to study the spatial and temporal atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and airborne radionuclides in Serbia

Abstract

Biomonitoring techniques, first introduced in Scandinavia with the use of terrestrial mosses, are very suitable for studying the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals as well as other trace elements, including airborne radionuclides. Mosses do not have a rooting system and obtain water and most nutrients directly from the air via precipitation and dry deposition, accumulating these elements in measurable concentrations. Measurements of the concentrations of heavy elements in mosses, which have been performed on a regular basis every 5 years since 1990 in most European countries, can be used to determine both the spatial distribution of atmospheric deposition as well as the temporal changes in depositional patterns. The deposition of radionuclides from the atmosphere can be studied by using biomonitors. Airborne radionuclides, such as 7Be and 210Pb, can be used as tracer elements for the study of the atmospheric transport and deposition of aerosols. Recent studies have shown that mosses are an excellent sampling medium for spatial and temporal studies of the atmospheric deposition of airborne radionuclides. © 2012 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.