Title: Evaluation of various bioindication methods of measuring zinc environmental pollution

Authors: Wojciech Dmuchowski; Dariusz Gozdowski; Aneta Helena Baczewska; Paulina Brągoszewska

Addresses: Botanical Garden – Center for Conservation of Biological Diversity, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland; Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland ' Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland ' Botanical Garden – Center for Conservation of Biological Diversity, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland ' Botanical Garden – Center for Conservation of Biological Diversity, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland; Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland

Abstract: This study was undertaken to assess the potential ability of four distinct bioindication methods to monitor zinc pollution levels. The study area was the region around the town of Olkusz, one of the oldest centres of the metallurgic industry in Europe. The four bioindication methods used for the assessment of zinc levels were the moss-bag method and the measurement of metal accumulation in Pleurozium schreberi moss, silver birch foliage and Scots pine needles. The results are presented in the form of contamination deposition maps generated by the MapInfo software. The spatial distributions of the contamination were strikingly similar despite the range of methods applied and the differences in exposure times of the bioindicator species. The similarities were confirmed using statistical analyses of the results.

Keywords: bioindication; zinc pollution; moss; silver birch; Scots pine; moss-bag; environmental pollution; pollution monitoring; metallurgical industry; metallurgy; Poland; metal accumulation; contamination deposition maps; bioindicators.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2013.054043

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2013 Vol.51 No.3/4, pp.238 - 254

Received: 03 Feb 2012
Accepted: 24 Sep 2012
Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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