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Water pollutant monitoring with aquatic bryophytes: a review

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Abstract

Bryophytes are non-vascular plants with large biomass and high production level in freshwaters. Aquatic bryophytes are used to assess the ecological status. They are a stress-tolerant group, and many species have a wide trophic range. Aquatic bryophytes are used as indicators by the presence or absence of a pollutant, or as monitors to measure pollutant concentrations. Here, we review major advances in bryomonitoring from a range of countries, mainly in Europe. Monitored elements include Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, V, 137Cs, 134Cs, 235U, 236Ra, 232Th and 40K. We illustrate the advantages of low-cost methods for monitoring water quality. Biomonitoring includes (1) passive observation and analysis of native bryophytes and (2) active biomonitoring based on species transplantation for a fixed exposure period. Two widespread northern hemisphere aquatic mosses, Fontinalis antipyretica and Platyhypnidium riparioides, are the most common biomonitors.

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Acknowledgments

This review was completed through the combined efforts of numerous scientists, who dedicated their researches on bryophytes and monitoring. Those authors have supported our interest in aquatic bryophytes and guided us. To all of them we are exceedingly grateful.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

    Gana Gecheva

  2. Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 23, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Lilyana Yurukova

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  1. Gana Gecheva
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  2. Lilyana Yurukova
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Correspondence to Gana Gecheva.

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Gecheva, G., Yurukova, L. Water pollutant monitoring with aquatic bryophytes: a review. Environ Chem Lett 12, 49–61 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-013-0429-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-013-0429-z

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