LAUSR

Abstract The aim of this methodological study was to investigate whether the optimal orientation of flat moss bags relative to a pollution source improves the efficiency of interception and retention of contaminants (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, V and Zn). Mesh bags containing the moss Sphagnum palustre were exposed for 14 weeks in industrial environments (two ferrous-smelters, a ceramics factory, a paper and wood factory with cogeneration production, and a coal-fired power plant), in two different ways (3 replicates each): attached to weathervanes (devices rotating downwind) or attached to static poles. In polluted sites, the metal uptake capacity (for As, Cu, Fe, Pb and V) in the moss bags attached to the weathervanes was higher than in the moss bags attached to the static poles. The findings demonstrate that the exposure of flat moss bags, a technique commonly used in air pollution biomonitoring, can be optimized by improving the position of the bags relative to the source of pollution.