Title: On the road from environmental biomonitoring to human health aspects: monitoring atmospheric heavy metal deposition by epiphytic/epigeic plants: present status and future needs

Authors: Bernd Markert, Simone Wuenschmann, Stefan Fraenzle, Olaf Wappelhorst, Vera Weckert, Gerhard Breulmann, Rumjana Djingova, Uwe Herpin, Helmut Lieth, Winfried Schroder, Ulrich Siewers, Eiliv Steinnes, Bert Wolterbeek, Harald Zechmeister

Addresses: International Graduate School Zittau, Environmental High Technology, Zittau, Germany. ' International Graduate School Zittau, Environmental High Technology, Zittau, Germany. ' International Graduate School Zittau, Environmental High Technology, Zittau, Germany. ' International Graduate School Zittau, Environmental High Technology, Zittau, Germany. ' International Graduate School Zittau, Environmental High Technology, Zittau, Germany. ' Interamerican Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), c/o INPE, Av. dos Astronautas 1758, Sao Jose dos Campos – SP, Brazil. ' Faculty of Chemistry, University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria. ' University of Sao Paulo, NUPEGEL/ESALQ CP 9, Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Institute of Environmental Systems Research (USF), University of Osnabrueck, Osnabrueck, Germany. ' Department of Landscape Ecology, University of Vechta, POB 1553, Vechta D-49364, Lower Saxony, Germany. ' Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hannover, Germany. ' Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. ' Interfaculty Reactor Institute, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands. ' Department of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Vegetation- and Landscape Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Abstract: For the past few years, a strong and intensive combined study by analytical scientists and biologists on bioindication and biomonitoring has developed. To achieve a more public-related prophylactic healthcare feature derived from these biotechniques in the future, the collaboration between analytical scientists, ecotoxicologists and especially human toxicologists has to be strongly intensified and promoted. For this purpose, different forms of education and teaching of students on an international level combined with common research projects encompassing the different scientific fields and philosophies are important keys for common success.

Keywords: biomonitoring; bioindication; heavy metals; human health; deposition; ecotoxicology; education; teaching; air pollution; epiphytic plants; epigeic plants; biomonitors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2008.018412

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2008 Vol.32 No.4, pp.486 - 498

Published online: 21 May 2008 *

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