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Heavy metal accumulation by three species of mosses in Shillong, North-Eastern India

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Abstract

Comparisons were made of the accumulation of cadmium, copper, manganese, lead, and zinc in Plagiothecium denticulatum, Bryum argenteum and Sphagnum sp. in Shillong, Meghalaya State, Northeastern India. Samples of P. denticulatum and B. argenteum were collected inside Shillong city (urban) and its immediately adjacent outskirts (suburban), while Sphagnum sp. was collected from a suburban site only. Lead and copper levels were higher in P. denticulatum, while Sphagnum sp. accumulated higher amounts of zinc, manganese, and cadmium. An urban-suburban gradient was evident for lead and zinc in P. denticulatum, and for cadmium in B. argenteum, while a reverse trend could be discerned for manganese in P. denticulatum. Besides vehicles and minor industries, quarry dust was likely to be an important source of manganese, copper, and zinc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, St. Edmund's College, 793 003, Shillong, India

    Abhik Gupta

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  1. Abhik Gupta
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Gupta, A. Heavy metal accumulation by three species of mosses in Shillong, North-Eastern India. Water Air Soil Pollut 82, 751–756 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00479424

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00479424

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