Accumulation of Al, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb by the bryophyte Scapania undulata in three upland waters of different pH

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 114; no. 1; pp. 93 - 100
• Main Authors: Vincent, C.D, Lawlor, A.J, Tipping, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; British Isles, England; Bryophytes; Bryopsida - physiology; Chemical Speciation; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi; Environmental Monitoring; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Ions; Metals; Metals, Heavy - pharmacokinetics; Oxidation-Reduction; Scapania undulata; Stream water; Tissue Distribution; Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacokinetics; United Kingdom; Europe; British Isles, England, Cumbria, Lake District; Chemical Speciation; Stream water; Bryophytes; Bioaccumulation; Metals; Cadmium; Bryophyta; Aluminium; Iron; Zinc; Heavy metal; Freshwater environment; Pollutant; Lead; pH; Stream; Water pollution; Biological accumulation; Copper; Speciation; Manganese
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/S0269-7491(00)00201-3

Chemical speciation governs the accumulation of metals in bryophtes. Measurements were made of the contents of Al, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in Scapania undulata in three streams (D2, D5, D11) in the English Lake District. The stream waters had average pH values of 5.35 (D2), 5.81 (D5) and 7.26 (D11), the main differences in other major chemical components being in Mg, Al, Ca and alkalinity. There was generally more metal accumulation in the older parts of the plants, but this was not significant in all cases. Extents of accumulation varied with stream pH and dissolved metal concentration. For Al, accumulation was greatest in streams D2 and D5. Mn accumulated most in D5 and Fe was without preference. Cu, Zn and Cd accumulated mostly in the plants in stream D11 and Pb accumulated more in D5 and D11. In terms of enrichment factors (amount of metal in the plants divided by stream water concentration) the sequence was Zn<Cd<Cu<Mn<Pb<Al<Fe. Laboratory experiments supported the findings of the field data, providing evidence that uptake increases with pH at constant total metal concentration. The results are interpreted qualitatively in terms of the chemical speciation of the metals in the stream water and competition between metal ions and protons at the plant–water interface. It is suggested that Al, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb behave according to chemical complexation, whereas redox processes and/or colloidal interactions may be significant for Mn and Fe.