The concentration of mercury was determined in samples of the lichen Hypogymnia physodes, the moss Pleurozium schreberi, and the soil humus collected in Polish and Czech Euroregions Praded and Glacensis. The sampling sites were located in Bory Stobrawskie, Bory Niemodlińskie and Kotlina Kłodzka in Poland, and in Jeseniki and Gory Orlickie in the Czech Republic. The mean concentrations of mercury accumulated in the lichen (0.129 mg g(-1)), in the moss (0.094 mg g(-1)) and in soil (0.286 mg g(-1)) were fairly close to the corresponding concentrations in other low-industrialized regions. The highest concentrations of mercury were observed in the lichen and the moss samples from Kotlina Kłodzka. The primary deposition of mercury was evaluated using the comparison factor, defined as the ratio of a difference between the concentrations of a bioavailable analyte in lichens and in mosses, to the arithmetic mean of these concentrations.

Chair of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology University of Opole 4 kard B Kominka Str 45 032 Opole Poland

See more in PubMed

Bargagli R, Monaci F, Borghini F, Bravi F, Agnorelli C. Mosses and lichens as biomonitors of trace metals. A comparison study on Hypnum cupressiforme and Parmelia caperata in a former mining district in Italy. Environmental Pollution. 2002;116:279–287. doi: 10.1016/S0269-7491(01)00125-7. PubMed DOI

Becnel J, Falgeust C, Cavalier T, Gauthreaux K, Landry F, Blanchard M, et al. Correlation of mercury concentrations in tree core and lichen samples in southeastern Louisiana. Microchemical Journal. 2004;78:205–210. doi: 10.1016/j.microc.2004.06.002. DOI

Bennett JP, Wetmore CM. Chemical element concentrations in four lichens on a transect entering Voyageurs National Park. Environmental and Experimental Botany. 1997;37:173–185. doi: 10.1016/S0098-8472(96)01039-8. DOI

Bennett JP, Wetmore CM. Geothermal elements in lichens of Yellowstone National Park, USA. Environmental and Experimental Botany. 1999;42:191–200. doi: 10.1016/S0098-8472(99)00036-2. DOI

Boszke L, Kowalski A, Astel A, Barański A, Gworek B, Siepak J. Mercury mobility and bioavailability in soil from contaminated area. Environmental Geology. 2008;55:1075–1087. doi: 10.1007/s00254-007-1056-4. DOI

Carignan J, Sonke J. The effect of atmospheric mercury depletion events on the net deposition flux around Hudson Bay, Canada. Atmospheric Environment. 2010;44:4372–4379. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.07.052. DOI

Che D, Meagher RB, Heaton ACP, Lima A, Rugh CL, Merkle SA. Expression of mercuric ion reductase in Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) confers mercuric ion reduction and resistance. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2003;1(4):311–319. doi: 10.1046/j.1467-7652.2003.00031.x. PubMed DOI

Commission of the European Communities. (2005). Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament. Community strategy concerning mercury, Brussels, 28.01. 2005. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2005/com2005_0020en01.pdf. Accessed 06 December 2010.

Dang F, Wang W-X. Subcellular controls of mercury trophic transfer to a marine fish. Aquatic Toxicology. 2010;99:500–506. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2010.06.010. PubMed DOI

Dębski B, Olendrzyński K, Cieślińska J, Kargulewicz I, Skośkiewicz J, Olecka A, et al. Inwentaryzacja emisji do powietrza SO2, NOx, CO, NH3, pyłów, metali ciężkich, NMLZO i TZO w Polsce za rok 2008 (Inventory of SO2, NOX, CO, NH3, particles, heavy metals, NMVOC, POP emission to air in Poland for 2008) Warsaw: KASHUE-KOBiZE and Instytut Ochrony Środowiska w Warszawie; 2009.

Ecophysiographic Development for Lower Silesia. (2005). Wrocław, Poland: Wojewódzkie Biuro Urbanistyczne we Wrocławiu.

EMEP (2010). Pollution of the EMEP region. http://www.msceast.org/hms/hg_emis.pdf. Accessed 25 August 2011.

Ettler V, Rohovec J, Navrátil T, Mihaljevič M. Mercury distribution in soil profiles polluted by lead smelting. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 2007;78:13–17. doi: 10.1007/s00128-007-9033-x. PubMed DOI

Fraenzle S, Markert B. Metals in biomass: From the biological system of elements to reasons of fractionation and element use. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2007;6:404–413. doi: 10.1065/espr2006.12.372. PubMed DOI

Głodek A, Pacyna JM. Mercury emission from coal-fired power plants in Poland. Atmospheric Environment. 2009;43(35):5668–5673. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.07.041. DOI

Głuszcz P, Zakrzewska K, Wagner-Doebler I, Ledakowicz S. Bioreduction of ionic mercury from wastewater in a fixed-bed bioreactor with activated carbon. Chemical Papers. 2008;62(3):232–238. doi: 10.2478/s11696-008-0017-z. DOI

Harmens, H., Mills, G., Hayes, F., Jones, L., Norris, D., & Cooper, D. (2009) ICP Vegetation annual report 2008/2009. http://icpvegetation.ceh.ac.uk. Accessed 10 December 2010.

Harmens H, Norris DA, Steinnes E, Kubin E, Piispanen J, Alber R, et al. Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: Spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe. Environmental Pollution. 2010;158:3144–3156. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2010.06.039. PubMed DOI

Harmens, H., Mills, G., Hayes, F., & Norris, D. (2010b). ICP Vegetation annual report 2009/2010. http://icpvegetation.ceh.ac.uk. Accessed 02 October 2011.

Ilyin, I., Rozovskaya, O., Travnikov, O., Varygina, M., Aas, W., & Uggerud H. T. (2011). Heavy metals: Transboundary pollution of the environment, EMEP Status Report 2/2011, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Kjeller, Norway and Meteorological Synthesizing Centre—East, Moscow, Russia.

Kehrig HA, Seixas TG, Baęta AP, Malm O, Moreira I. Inorganic and methylmercury: Do they transfer along a tropical coastal food web? Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2010;60:2350–2356. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.08.010. PubMed DOI

Kłos A, Rajfur M, Wacławek M, Wacławek W, Wünschmann S, Markert B. Quantitative relations between different concentrations of micro- and macroelements in mosses and lichens: The region of Opole (Poland) as an environmental interface in between Eastern and Western Europe. International Journal of Environment and Health. 2010;4(2/3):98–119. doi: 10.1504/IJENVH.2010.033702. DOI

Lado LR, Hengl T, Reuter HI. Heavy metals in European soils: A geostatistical analysis of the FOREGS Geochemical database. Geoderma. 2008;148:189–199. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.09.020. DOI

Loppi S, Paoli L, Gaggi C. Diversity of epiphytic lichens and Hg contents of Xanthoria parietina Thalli as monitors of geothermal air pollution in the Mt. Amiata Area (Central Italy) Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry. 2006;53:93–105. doi: 10.1007/s10874-006-6648-y. DOI

Markert B. Definitions and principles for bioindication and biomonitoring of trace metals in the environment. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 2007;21(S1):77–82. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2007.09.015. PubMed DOI

Markert B, Breure A, Zechmeister H. Bioindicators & biomonitors: Principles, concepts and applications. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2003.

Markert B, Wuenschmann S, Fraenzle S, Wappelhorst O, Weckert V, Breulmann G, et al. On the road from environmental biomonitoring to human health aspects: Monitoring atmospheric heavy metal deposition by epiphytic/epigeic plants: Present status and future needs. International Journal of Environment and Pollution. 2008;32:486–498. doi: 10.1504/IJEP.2008.018412. DOI

McGill R, Tukey JW, Larsen WA. Variations of box plots. American Statistical. 1978;32(1):12–16.

Migaszewski ZM, Gałuszka A, Pasławski P. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, and trace metals in selected soil profiles and plant bioindicators in the Holy Cross Mountains, South-Central Poland. Environment International. 2002;28:303–313. doi: 10.1016/S0160-4120(02)00039-9. PubMed DOI

Migaszewski ZM, Gałuszka A, Pasławski P. The use of the barbell cluster ANOVA design for the assessment of environmental pollution: A case study, Wigierski National Park, NE Poland. Environmental Pollution. 2005;133:213–223. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2004.06.007. PubMed DOI

Navrátil T, Hojdová M, Rohovec J, Penížek V, Vařilova Z. Effect of fire on pools of mercury in forest soil, Central Europe. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 2009;83:269–274. doi: 10.1007/s00128-009-9705-9. PubMed DOI

Overarching Framework UNEP Global Mercury Partnership. (2009). United Nations Environment Programme. http://hqweb.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Mercury/GlobalMercuryPartnership/PartnershipOverarchingFramework/tabid/4783/language/en-US/Default.aspx. Accessed 06 December 2010.

Pacyna EG, Pacyna JM, Fudała J, Strzelecka-Jastrząb E, Hławiczka S, Panasiuk D. Mercury emissions to the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources in Europe in 2000 and their scenarios until 2020. Science of the Total Environment. 2006;370:147–156. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.06.023. PubMed DOI

R Development Core Team. (2009). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria. ISBN 3-900051-07-0, URL http://www.R-project.org/.

Rencz AN, O’Driscoll NJ, Hall GEM, Peron T, Telmer K, Burgess NM. Spatial variation and correlations of mercury levels in the terrestrial and aquatic components of a wetland dominated ecosystem: Kejimkujik Park, Nova Scotia, Canada. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 2003;143:271–288. doi: 10.1023/A:1022899919151. DOI

Ribeiro Guevara S, Bubach D, Arribére M. Mercury in lichens of Nahuel Huapi National Park, Patagonia, Argentina. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 2004;261(3):679–687. doi: 10.1023/B:JRNC.0000037113.24485.47. DOI

Sensen M, Richardson DHS. Mercury levels in lichens from different host trees around a chloralkali plant in New Brunswick, Canada. Science of the Total Environment. 2002;293:31–45. doi: 10.1016/S0048-9697(01)01135-4. PubMed DOI

Smodiš B, Pignata ML, Saiki M, Cortés E, Bangfa N, Markert B, et al. Validation and application of plants as biomonitors of trace element atmospheric pollution—A co-ordinated effort in 14 countries. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry. 2004;49:3–13. doi: 10.1007/s10874-004-1210-2. DOI

Steinnes E, Berg T, Sjøbakk TE. Temporal and spatial trends in Hg deposition monitored by moss analysis. The Science of the Total Environment. 2003;304:215–219. doi: 10.1016/S0048-9697(02)00570-3. PubMed DOI

Suchara I, Sucharova J. Distribution of sulphur and heavy metals in forest floor humus of the Czech Republic. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 2002;136:289–316. doi: 10.1023/A:1015235924991. DOI

Suchara I, Sucharova J. Mercury distribution around the Spolana chlor-alkali plant (central Bohemia, Czech Republic) after a catastrophic flood, as revealed by bioindicators. Environmental Pollution. 2008;151:352–361. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2007.06.029. PubMed DOI

Suchara I, Maňkovská B, Sucharová J, Florek M, Godzik B, Rabnecz G, et al. Mapping of main sources of pollutants and their transport in the Visegrad space. Part II: Fifty three elements. Zvolen: KLEMO spol. s r.o., (Ltd.); 2007.

Travnikov O. Contribution of the intercontinental atmospheric transport to mercury pollution in the Northern Hemisphere. Atmospheric Environment. 2005;39:7541–7548. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.07.066. DOI

Williamson BJ, Mikhailova I, Purvis OW, Udachin V. SEM-EDX analysis in the source apportionment of particulate matter on Hypogymnia physodes lichen transplants around the Cu smelter and former mining town of Karabash, South Urals, Russia. Science of the Total Environment. 2004;322:139–154. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.09.021. PubMed DOI

Wolterbeek, B. (2003). Biomonitoring of trace element air pollution: Principles, possibilities and perspectives. In Proc. of the International Workshop—BioMAP II, 28 August–3 September 2000, (pp. 87–104), Vienna: IAEA. PubMed

Mercury Content and Amelioration of Its Toxicity by Nitric Oxide in Lichens

Effect of 30 years of road traffic abandonment on epiphytic moss diversity