Biomonitors of Air Pollution by Heavy Metals

Abstract

The use of pl~nts as b10monitors of ~ir pollution by he~vy metals J.s d1scussed on the basJ.s of the literature and the author's own exper1ence. The use of indigenous mosses for l~rqe-scale surveys is tre~ted J.n partJ.cular deta11. and the usefulness of th1s monitoring techn1que 1S cr1tLc~11y ev~lu~ted in reL~tJ.on to gener~l reQU1rements and ~va1lable eMper1ence and 111ustrated by recent evidence from The author's laboratory. In spite of some diff1cult1es. mosses are cons1dered to be very useful b1omon1tors ~so~c1allv tor large-scale stud1es of heavy-metal deposit10n from the atmosphere.