A moss species for magnetic biomonitoring the airborne particle pollution

MARIÉ, DÉBORA C.; MARTINO, LUCILA; CHAPARRO, MARCOS A. E.; D'ANGELO, CRISTIAN; LAVORNIA, JUAN M.; BÖHNEL, HARALD N.

REVISTA MEXICANA DE CIENCIAS GEOLóGICAS

CENTRO GEOCIENCIAS UNAM

Lugar: México; Año: 2023 vol. 76

1026-8774

The magnetic properties of eighty-four moss samples of Orthotrichum diaphanum Brid collected in a medium-sized city were studied. Mosses can be considered passive collectors of air particle pollution produced by vehicular and industrial emissions because they absorb their nutrients (and pollutants) from the air. Using the environmental magnetism techniques and this moss species, we determined the most impacted areas around factories and with high vehicular traffic, where mass-specific magnetic susceptibility χ reached values of 668 ×10-8 m3kg-1. These areas presented coarser magnetic particles (0.2 – 5 µm) than avenues and street sites (0.1–1 µm). The studies of magnetic mineralogy indicated that magnetite is the main magnetic carrier. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed the presence of Fe-rich spherules and particles of different sizes and morphologies. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy studies determined the presence of Fe, Mn, Al, Cu, Si, and Ti, some of which correlated significantly with magnetic parameters. The statistical comparison of magnetic parameters between moss O. diaphanum and lichen Parmotrema pilosum revealed that both species are effective biological indicators for air particle monitoring.