Biosurface properties and lead adsorption in a clone of Sphagnum palustre (Mosses): Towards a unified protocol of biomonitoring of airborne heavy metal pollution

Chemosphere.                 online article

We report the establishment of a unified protocol to employ mosses as biomonitoring devices to trace airborne heavy metal pollution. Selected clones from the peat moss Sphagnum palustre cultivated in the lab were compared to field-grown strains regarding their adsorption capacities. Further, pretreatment and devitalization procedures to prepare mosses for biomonitoring were optimized. In this study, lab-grown axenic clones showed similar adsorption properties as field-grown strains, thus representing an appropriate and more sustainable alternative for efficient, reproducible biomonitoring.