INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Volume 10, 2016 Trace Element Accumulating Ability of Different Moss Species Used to Study Atmospheric Deposition of Heavy Metals in Central Russia: Tula Region Case Study S.V. Gorelova1, M.V. Frontasyeva2, E.V. Volkova3, K.N. Vergel4, D.E. Babicheva5 1 Institute of Advanced Training and Professional Retraining of Educational Employees of Tula region, 300041, RF, Tula, Lenina Str., 22 [email protected] 2,4 Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (LNP), Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) 141980, RF, Moscow region, Dubna, Joliot-Curie Str., 6, JINR [email protected] , 4 [email protected] 3Department of Biology, Tula State University, 300012, RF, Tula, Lenina Av., 92, [email protected] 5Natural Science Faculty, L.N. Tolstoy Tula State Pedagogical University, 300026, RF, Tula, Lenin Av., 125, [email protected] RUSSIAN FEDERATION Abstract Multi-element epithermal neutron activation (Grant 15-45-03252 - r_centre_a) analysis (ENAA) applied to different moss species collected over the territory of Tula Region (Russia) determined the level I. INTRODUCTION of their ability to accumulate heavy metals and metalloids from wet and dry atmospheric depositions. Moss species were • Mosses are higher spore plants that have a number of revealed with accumulating ability close to that one for moss features to successfully use them for biomonitoring species recommended for moss biomonitoring purposes purposes: (Pleurozium schreberi, etc): Abietinella abietina, Atrichum • lack cuticles on the leaves preventing the penetration of undulatum, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, as well those which are pollutants; they have no roots and they readily absorb characterized by high accumulation ability of toxic element from the environment: Brachythecium rutabulum, water and elements from wet and dry deposition by Brachythecium salebrosum, Eurhynchium angustirete, rhizoids and leaves; Plagiomnium ellipticum, Orthotrichum speciosum, • the leaves of moss are composed of 1-3 layers of cells; Oxyrrhynchium hians. These species can be recommended for • effectively accumulate heavy metals and other use in passive moss biomonitoring of atmospheric deposition of compounds over a larger time period due to the large trace elements. The species with low accumulating ability of heavy metals and metalloids were also revealed: Climacium surface-to-weight ratio and slow growth.; dendroides, Plagiomnium undulatum, Sphagnum sp., Using the • undeveloped vascular bundles allow better adsorption method of passive moss biomonitoring, air pollution of Tula than vascular plants; region (Central Russia) was studied. A high content of a • minimal morphological changes during moss lifetime; number of elements of anthropogenic origin V, Fe, Zn, As, Sm, • wide distribution and ease of sampling; Tb, Hf, W, Th, and U in the air compared to other regions of Russia and high content of As, Cd, Cr, Fe, V, Zn and Al • possibility to determine concentrations in the annual compared to the CIS countries and Europe were revealed. The growth segments [41]. reason for such high level of anthropogenic air pollution in the The idea of using terrestrial mosses for the analysis of region is the activity of enterprises of metallurgical, defense, atmospheric deposition of heavy metals has been engineering and chemical industries. proposed in the late 60-ies of the XX century by Ruhling and Tyler (1968) [25]. It is based on features of moss Keywords biomonitoring, moss species, bioaccumulation of anatomic structure and physiology. As a passive elements, epithermal neutron activation analysis, air pollution, trace elements, heavy metals, rare earth elements biomonitor in most cases, mosses helps to identify the impact of pollutants at the ecosystem level. Ideas of moss Study was supported by RFBR monitoring in Europe have been developed by Rühling, ISSN: 1998-4510 271 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Volume 10, 2016 Steinnes, Berg, Harmens et al. [1], [13]-[15], [17], [26]- pollution monitoring in Russia [50]. It was shown that [31], [36]-[39]. Aulacomnium palustre has a high accumulative ability Since the 1970s, the Scandinavian countries, and in the compared with Sphagnum mosses; and two epiphytic last 20 years in the Western, Central and Eastern Europe mosses: Pylaisia polyantha, Orthotrichum obtusifolium passive briomonitoring receives support of targeted state and the terrestrial moss Dicranum polysetum having the grants and programs, it is held regularly every five years highest accumulating abilities in comparison with in the framework of the UN Convention on Long-Range Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi used Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) [13], [16]; [29]- for monitoring in Europe. However, the necessity to study [31]. Coordination of moss briomonitoring in Europe, moss species and extension of their list to be used as Russia and Asia is carried out through the United Nations biomonitoring in deciduous, small-leaved forests, forest- program (UNECE ICP Vegetation). steppe and steppe regions is still acute. Based on the monitoring results, the atlases of atmospheric deposition of pollutants are edited and published, which allow estimating the cross-border II. PROBLEM FORMULATION. STUDY AREA. MATERIALS transfer of elements, reveal sources of pollution and their AND METHODS impact on the environment, as well as to trace the The study area, Tula region is situated in the central retrospective distribution of elements in the atmosphere part of the Eastern European Plain, it covers an area of [13], [16], [18]. 25.7 thousand square km. It borders in the north and In Russia, conducting biomonitoring first started in the north-east with Moscow, in the east with Ryazan region, north-western regions: Leningrad Region, Kola Peninsula, in the south-east and south with Lipetsk region, in the Karelia [1]. Since the late 90-ies of the XX century south and south-west with Oryol region, in the west and briomonitoring carried out on the basis of the analytical north-west with Kaluga region. The length of the territory complex of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research for a from north to south is 200 km, from west to east is 190 number of central regions of Russia and South Ural: one- km. The population is 1 513 600 people, 500 000 of time study conducted in Tula Region [4], [6]; moss which live in the territory of large industrial regional biomonitoring of Tver, Kostroma, part of the Moscow center – the city of Tula. Tula region is the second after and Ivanovo regions [2], [3], [5], [8], [33], [40], as well Moscow and it is among the five most ecologically as in Kaliningrad Region [19]-[21]. unfavorable regions of Russia, 10 times exceeding the Since 2014 the coordination of ICP Vegetation has amount of emissions to the atmosphere of the surrounding been transferred to the Joint Institute for Nuclear the Kaluga and Oryol regions. Regional environmental Research (Dubna, Moscow region) to M.V. Frontasyeva. problems are caused, first of all, by clustering of 473 Due to her efforts the following countries joint the moss enterprises of chemical, metallurgy, defense, machine- biomonitoring programme in the Caucasus and Asia: building industry, fuel and energy and mining complex at Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Vietnam and a relatively small area, being the main sources of air Moldova in the South-East and contribute to the moss pollution in the region. survey in 2015-2016. In addition to atmospheric According to a random Federal statistical observation deposition of heavy metals, this method also allows in 2014 emissions of harmful substances by enterprises of evaluating the contamination with nitrogen, persistent Tula region amounted to 181.3 thousand tons. On organic pollutants (POPs) and radionuclides [15], [17]. average, it was 120 kg of harmful substances per capita In various studies the characteristics of different moss per year. A total of 15129 stationary sources of emissions species to accumulate trace elements from the of air pollutants were encountered in the region in 2014. environment are given: comparative characteristics of A bit more than half (52%) of emissions in the Sphagnum sp. and Politrichum commune [55]; Sphagnum atmosphere of harmful substances are emissions produced sp. in the Tomsk Region, the Volgograd Region and by manufacturing industries, including metallurgical Siberia [47, 48]; comparison of accumulation ability of enterprises: 32.8%, chemical production companies: four types of forest mosses: Pleurozium schreberi, 6.3%. Only 74 % of environment pollutants are captured Dicranum polysetum, Ptilium crista-castrensis, and neutralized every year. 32% of emissions are Hylocomium splendens, four species of bog mosses: accounted for by the city of Tula and Novomoskovsky, Aulacomnium palustre, Sphagnum angustifolium, Alexinsky, Shchekinsky, Efremovsky districts [24]. Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum centrale and two According to the number of harmful emissions into the species of epiphytic moss: Pylaisia polyantha, atmosphere Tula is one of the 60 most polluted cities in Orthotrichum obtusifolium, which finally revealed higher Russia. accumulative ability of Dicranum polysetum and Pylaisia In our previous studies, geochemical anomalies were polyantha in comparison to Hylocomium splendens identified for heavy metal (HM) content in the air and soil recommended for the classic monitoring purposes. for more than 30% of the city territory [11], [12]. Epiphytic moss Pylaisia polyantha was