European moss survey 2010/11:heavy metals, nitrogen and POPs

ICP VEGETATION 30th

Progress HM & N

New: Pilot study POPs

Review: mosses as biomonitors of POPs

N, 2005/6

Participation 2010/11 moss survey

Albania

AustriaS

Belarus

Belgium

BulgariaS

Croatia

Czech RepEMEP

Denmark (F. Isl.)

Estonia

Finland

France POPs, S

Iceland

Italy (Bolzano)

Macedonia

Montenegro

Norway POPs

Poland POPs, S

Romania

Russian Federation

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia POPs, S

Spain – Galicia

– Navarra POPs, S

– Rioja

Sweden

Switzerland POPs, S

Ukraine (Donetsk)

Black: heavy metals Blue: heavy metals & N EMEP: case study 5x5 km2

(12 countries) (14 countries)

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NEW: Pilot study POPs

Participating countries:

France (Île de France)

Spain (Navarra)

Switzerland (Swiss Plateau)

Poland (PAHs, 30 sites)

Slovenia (PAHs, 30 sites)

Norway (various POPs)

Lab in France:PAHs in Hypnum cupressiforme, 20 sites per country

PAHs: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

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Mosses as biomonitors of POPs

Concern: toxic, persistent, bioaccumulate, long-range transport

Measured and modelled by EMEP (high uncertainties)

2009: 23 EMEP monitoring sites in total in 17 countries

POPs measured: pesticides, PAHs, HCHs, HCB and PCBs

Benzo[a]pyrene concentrations at EMEP sites in 2009(Gusev et al., 2011)

ICP VEGETATION 30th

Mosses as biomonitors of POPs

Majority of studies on PAHs

Gradient studies near pollution sources or in remote areas (Arctic and Antartic)

Few studies investigated relationship between air concentrations, deposition fluxes and POPs concentrations in mosses

Benzo[ghi]perylene:

C1 = 1.62*C2 + 259.6*C3 + 0.74*P (R = 0.74, P = 0.002)

Benzo[a]pyrene:

C1 = 1.31*C2 + 180.3*C3 + 0.16*P (R = 0.66, P = 0.007) (Thomas, 1986)

Fluroanthene:

C1 = 0.33*C2 + 26.2*C3 + 0.19*P (R = 0.91, P = 0.000)

(C1 = moss, C2 = rainwater, C3 = PM, P = precipitation)

ICP VEGETATION 30th

Mosses as biomonitors of POPs

Few studies on temporal trends of PAHs:

changes in concentration and composition in moss reflect changes in emission sources and levels

herbarium moss samples: an effective tool to reconstruct historical trends in PAHs deposition (Foan et al., 2010)

Mosses also good biomonitors for:

polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs)

dioxins/furans

polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)

ICP VEGETATION 30th

Research recommendations

ICP VEGETATION 30th

More studies to investigate relationship between air concentrations, deposition fluxes and POPs in mosses

Hence, moss sampling required at national and/or regional (EMEP) POPs monitoring sites

Study effects of other variables (such as temperature, altitude, precipitation, moss species) on POPs concentrations in mosses

If pilot study successful, more countries should participate in the future; repeat POPs survey to establish temporal trends

Impacts of black carbon (BC) on vegetation

ICP VEGETATION 30th

Little known about direct impact BCR

ise

T (

oC

)

Light (umol m-2 s-1)

Hirano et al., 1995

Cucumber : Increase leaf temperature

Increase water loss

More known about direct impact road dust:

Increase leaf temperature, blocking of leaf pores, reduction photosynthesis (shading or impeded gas diffusion)

… but effects at relatively high concentrations

Impacts of black carbon (BC) on vegetation

ICP VEGETATION 30th

Complex indirect impacts of air pollutants (e.g. aerosols, atmospheric brown clouds):

Difficult to distinguish impacts BC

Aerosols (including BC) affect cloudiness, precipitation, surface temperature, but large uncertainties in physical processes and impacts not well quantified (UNEP-WMO, 2011)

BC: warming, OC (organic carbon): cooling atmosphere

BC: global dimming, increase direct-to-diffuse radiation ratio; potentially reducing CO2 sequestration