European moss survey 2010/11: heavy metals, nitrogen and POPs ICP VEGETATION 30 th  Progress HM & N  New: Pilot study POPs  Review: mosses as biomonitors of POPs N, 2005/6

Participation 2010/11 moss survey Albania Austria S Belarus Belgium Bulgaria S Croatia Czech Rep EMEP Denmark (F. Isl.) Estonia Finland France POPs, S Iceland Italy (Bolzano) Macedonia Montenegro Norway POPs Poland POPs, S Romania Russian Federation Serbia Slovakia Slovenia POPs, S Spain – Galicia – Navarra POPs, S – Rioja Sweden Switzerland POPs, S Ukraine (Donetsk) Black: heavy metals Blue: heavy metals & N EMEP: case study 5x5 km 2 (12 countries) (14 countries) ICP VEGETATION 30 th

NEW: Pilot study POPs Participating countries: France (Île de France) Spain (Navarra) Switzerland (Swiss Plateau) Poland (PAHs, 30 sites) Slovenia (PAHs, 30 sites) Norway (various POPs) Lab in France: PAHs in Hypnum cupressiforme, 20 sites per country PAHs: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ICP VEGETATION 30 th

Mosses as biomonitors of POPs  Concern: toxic, persistent, bioaccumulate, long-range transport  Measured and modelled by EMEP (high uncertainties)  2009: 23 EMEP monitoring sites in total in 17 countries  POPs measured: pesticides, PAHs, HCHs, HCB and PCBs Benzo[a]pyrene concentrations at EMEP sites in 2009 (Gusev et al., 2011) ICP VEGETATION 30 th

Mosses as biomonitors of POPs  Majority of studies on PAHs  Gradient studies near pollution sources or in remote areas (Arctic and Antartic)  Few studies investigated relationship between air concentrations, deposition fluxes and POPs concentrations in mosses Benzo[ghi]perylene: C 1 = 1.62 * C * C * P (R = 0.74, P = 0.002) Benzo[a]pyrene: C 1 = 1.31 * C * C * P (R = 0.66, P = 0.007) (Thomas, 1986) Fluroanthene: C 1 = 0.33 * C * C * P (R = 0.91, P = 0.000) (C 1 = moss, C 2 = rainwater, C 3 = PM, P = precipitation) ICP VEGETATION 30 th

Mosses as biomonitors of POPs  Few studies on temporal trends of PAHs:  changes in concentration and composition in moss reflect changes in emission sources and levels  herbarium moss samples: an effective tool to reconstruct historical trends in PAHs deposition (Foan et al., 2010)  Mosses also good biomonitors for:  polychlorobiphenyls ( PCBs)  dioxins/furans  polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) ICP VEGETATION 30 th

Research recommendations ICP VEGETATION 30 th  More studies to investigate relationship between air concentrations, deposition fluxes and POPs in mosses  Hence, moss sampling required at national and/or regional (EMEP) POPs monitoring sites  Study effects of other variables (such as temperature, altitude, precipitation, moss species) on POPs concentrations in mosses  If pilot study successful, more countries should participate in the future; repeat POPs survey to establish temporal trends

Impacts of black carbon (BC) on vegetation ICP VEGETATION 30 th  Little known about direct impact BC Rise T ( o C) Light (umol m -2 s -1 ) Hirano et al., 1995 Cucumber : Increase leaf temperature Increase water loss  More known about direct impact road dust:  Increase leaf temperature, blocking of leaf pores, reduction photosynthesis (shading or impeded gas diffusion)  … but effects at relatively high concentrations

Impacts of black carbon (BC) on vegetation ICP VEGETATION 30 th  Complex indirect impacts of air pollutants (e.g. aerosols, atmospheric brown clouds):  Difficult to distinguish impacts BC  Aerosols (including BC) affect cloudiness, precipitation, surface temperature, but large uncertainties in physical processes and impacts not well quantified (UNEP-WMO, 2011)  BC: warming, OC (organic carbon): cooling atmosphere  BC: global dimming, increase direct-to-diffuse radiation ratio; potentially reducing CO 2 sequestration