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This study investigated whether statistical correlation of modeled atmospheric heavy metal deposition and respective accumulation in moss and natural surface soil varies across natural landscapes in Norway. Target metals were cadmium, lead, and mercury, and analyses were run between 1990 and 2010 on a 5-year interval. The landscape information was derived from the Ecological Land Classification of Europe. Correlations between concentration and respective deposition data were computed for each land class. The strongest correlations between heavy metal concentrations in atmospheric deposition and corresponding levels in moss and natural surface soil were observed for lead. Correlations for mercury were weaker compared to those calculated for cadmium and lead, indicating that atmospheric transport of mercury occurs at a larger spatial scale, while accumulation additionally seems to be influenced by factors operating on smaller scales. The correlation between concentrations in atmospheric deposition and moss is landscape-specific and metal-specific. The same holds true for the relations between heavy metal concentration in modeled atmospheric deposition and natural surface soil. The results of this investigation are in line with similar calculations from across Europe. They further confirm previous studies indicating that for Norway atmospheric transport is a main source of lead and cadmium accumulation in moss as well as in natural surface soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Assessing effects of air pollution needs the monitoring of atmospheric deposition. At least for enhancing the spatial resolution of measuring deposition by use of technical devices and of deposition modeling, mosses are used complementarily as biomonitors. In Norway, since 1985, nationwide surveys have been carried out every 5 years. This study aimed at investigating statistical relationships between heavy metal concentrations in samples of moss and natural surface soil, collected in spatial dense networks covering Norway, and regional factors. Materials and methods: Heavy metal (HM) concentrations in moss samples collected in 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 and in natural surface soil specimens sampled in 1995 and 2005 across Norway were assessed statistically. Classification and regression trees were computed in order to uncover multivariate relationships between HM concentrations in moss and natural surface soil and potential influencing environmental factors that were integrated into the multivariate analyses. Results and discussion: Atmospheric deposition of HM could be proved as the strongest predictor for HM concentrations in moss and natural surface soil samples. Land use within a 5-km radius and population density around the sampling sites were identified as further predictors of HM concentrations in moss and natural surface soil. Conclusions: HM monitoring with moss and natural surface soil samples indicates complementarily atmospheric deposition and thus should be carried out as long-term observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to follow the turnover of 137Cs in natural soils and estimate future trends in exposure of livestock, samples of natural surface soils were collected at 0–3 cm depth at 464 sites in 1995 and 463 sites in 2005 covering the country. In both cases the geographical pattern observed was similar to the original distribution from 1986, but the decline of 137Cs activity in the surface soil was not the same everywhere. In 1995 the 137Cs reduction since 1986 was found to be considerably greater in coastal areas than farther inland. The main reason for this appears to be the much greater deposition of marine cations such as Mg2+ and Na+ in the coastal areas, replacing Cs ions fixed on soil particle surfaces. This cation exchange appeared to be particularly strong near the southern coast where deposition of from transboundary air pollution is evident in addition to the marine cations. During 1995–2005 the 137Cs decline in the surface soil was more uniform over the country than in the preceding 10-year period but still significantly higher in coastal areas than inland. Differences in precipitation chemistry may have influenced the uptake of 137Cs in terrestrial food chains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The biomonitoring properties of oak tree bark compared with the epiphytic moss Hypnum cupressiforme and the influence of the tree bark, as its growth substrate, on the content of heavy metals in moss were investigated. Samples of the epiphytic moss H. cupressiforme and oak tree bark ( Quercus spp.) were collected in Eastern Romania at a total of 44 sampling sites. Parallel moss and bark samples were collected from the same sides of the trunk circumference. V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, In, Tl, Sn, Pb, and Bi were determined by ICP-MS. Principal component analysis was used to identify possible sources of metals in bark and moss. Six factors explaining 87 % of the total variance in the data set were chosen. The main factors represent long-range atmospheric transport of elements (Zn, Cd, (Pb), Bi, (Mo), (Tl)), local emissions from industrial sources (As, Cr, Ni, V), road traffic (Pb, Zn) and agricultural activities (Cu, (Zn)). The element concentrations in moss and bark samples are of the same order of magnitude. For almost all the elements, higher concentrations were obtained in moss. Significant correlations between concentrations in moss and bark samples were obtained for 7 of the 13 elements: V, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, In, and Bi, all typical anthropogenic pollutants. The use of tree bark for monitoring purposes might be an alternative in areas where there is a scarcity of mosses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study of the leaching of trace elements from the upper soil layer of a spent shale deposit was carried out. The study was conducted by installing a set of samplers in both active and closed parts of the deposit. Leachates were analyzed for pH, conductivity and concentrations of elements by ICP-MS. The results indicated release of metals from both parts of the deposit. Among the elements Mo, Zn, Ni, Cu, Cr and V were most mobile. The highest concentrations of Mo (104 μg/l), Zn (80 μg/l) and Ni (76 μg/l) were found in leachates from the active part of the deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]