Active Moss Biomonitoring of Mercury in the Mine-Polluted Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Central Italy)
Active biomonitoring of mercury (Hg) using non-indigenous moss bags was performed for the first time within and around the former Hg mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, central Italy). The purpose was to discern the Hg spatial distribution, identify the most polluted areas, and evaluat...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/1/2 |
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| author | Federica Meloni Sergio Calabrese Orlando Vaselli Francesco Capecchiacci Francesco Ciani Lorenzo Brusca Sergio Bellomo Walter D’Alessandro Kyriaki Daskalopoulou Stefania Venturi Barbara Nisi Daniele Rappuoli Franco Tassi Jacopo Cabassi |
| author_facet | Federica Meloni Sergio Calabrese Orlando Vaselli Francesco Capecchiacci Francesco Ciani Lorenzo Brusca Sergio Bellomo Walter D’Alessandro Kyriaki Daskalopoulou Stefania Venturi Barbara Nisi Daniele Rappuoli Franco Tassi Jacopo Cabassi |
| author_sort | Federica Meloni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Active biomonitoring of mercury (Hg) using non-indigenous moss bags was performed for the first time within and around the former Hg mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, central Italy). The purpose was to discern the Hg spatial distribution, identify the most polluted areas, and evaluate the impacts of dry and wet deposition on mosses. The exposed moss bags consisted of a mixture of <i>Sphagnum fuscum</i> and <i>Sphagnum tenellum</i> from an external uncontaminated area. In each site, two different types of moss bags, one uncovered (to account for the wet + dry deposition) and one covered (to evaluate the dry deposition), were exposed. The behavior of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in the mosses was investigated to assess the potential relationship with Hg. GEM (Gaseous Elemental Mercury) concentrations were also measured at the same sites where the mosses were exposed, although only as a reference in the initial stages of biomonitoring. The results revealed that the main Hg emissions sources were associated with the former mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore, in agreement with the measured GEM concentrations, while arsenic and antimony were related to soil enriched in As-Sb waste material. The three elements registered higher concentrations in uncovered mosses with respect to the covered ones, i.e., wet deposition was the key factor for their accumulation on the uncovered mosses, while dry deposition was especially important for the covered samples in the mining area. Hg was accumulated in the mosses via GEM adsorption, uptake of particulate Hg, and precipitation via raindrops/snowfall, with almost no loss and without post-deposition volatilization. The results testified that the chosen biomonitoring technique was an extremely useful tool for understanding Hg transport and fate in a contaminated area. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8f5cec1247124384be7c62eb80d48a82 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj-art-8f5cec1247124384be7c62eb80d48a822025-01-24T13:50:53ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042024-12-01131210.3390/toxics13010002Active Moss Biomonitoring of Mercury in the Mine-Polluted Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Central Italy)Federica Meloni0Sergio Calabrese1Orlando Vaselli2Francesco Capecchiacci3Francesco Ciani4Lorenzo Brusca5Sergio Bellomo6Walter D’Alessandro7Kyriaki Daskalopoulou8Stefania Venturi9Barbara Nisi10Daniele Rappuoli11Franco Tassi12Jacopo Cabassi13Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Marine Sciences (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Palermo Unit, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Palermo Unit, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Palermo Unit, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, ItalyInstitute of Geosciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam Golm, GermanyDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, ItalyCNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, ItalyUnione dei Comuni Amiata Val d’Orcia, Unità di Bonifica, Via Grossetana 209, 53025 Piancastagnaio, ItalyDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, ItalyCNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, ItalyActive biomonitoring of mercury (Hg) using non-indigenous moss bags was performed for the first time within and around the former Hg mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, central Italy). The purpose was to discern the Hg spatial distribution, identify the most polluted areas, and evaluate the impacts of dry and wet deposition on mosses. The exposed moss bags consisted of a mixture of <i>Sphagnum fuscum</i> and <i>Sphagnum tenellum</i> from an external uncontaminated area. In each site, two different types of moss bags, one uncovered (to account for the wet + dry deposition) and one covered (to evaluate the dry deposition), were exposed. The behavior of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in the mosses was investigated to assess the potential relationship with Hg. GEM (Gaseous Elemental Mercury) concentrations were also measured at the same sites where the mosses were exposed, although only as a reference in the initial stages of biomonitoring. The results revealed that the main Hg emissions sources were associated with the former mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore, in agreement with the measured GEM concentrations, while arsenic and antimony were related to soil enriched in As-Sb waste material. The three elements registered higher concentrations in uncovered mosses with respect to the covered ones, i.e., wet deposition was the key factor for their accumulation on the uncovered mosses, while dry deposition was especially important for the covered samples in the mining area. Hg was accumulated in the mosses via GEM adsorption, uptake of particulate Hg, and precipitation via raindrops/snowfall, with almost no loss and without post-deposition volatilization. The results testified that the chosen biomonitoring technique was an extremely useful tool for understanding Hg transport and fate in a contaminated area.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/1/2moss bagsbiomonitoringGEMmercurypollutionmining |
| spellingShingle | Federica Meloni Sergio Calabrese Orlando Vaselli Francesco Capecchiacci Francesco Ciani Lorenzo Brusca Sergio Bellomo Walter D’Alessandro Kyriaki Daskalopoulou Stefania Venturi Barbara Nisi Daniele Rappuoli Franco Tassi Jacopo Cabassi Active Moss Biomonitoring of Mercury in the Mine-Polluted Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Central Italy) Toxics moss bags biomonitoring GEM mercury pollution mining |
| title | Active Moss Biomonitoring of Mercury in the Mine-Polluted Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Central Italy) |
| title_full | Active Moss Biomonitoring of Mercury in the Mine-Polluted Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Central Italy) |
| title_fullStr | Active Moss Biomonitoring of Mercury in the Mine-Polluted Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Central Italy) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Active Moss Biomonitoring of Mercury in the Mine-Polluted Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Central Italy) |
| title_short | Active Moss Biomonitoring of Mercury in the Mine-Polluted Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Central Italy) |
| title_sort | active moss biomonitoring of mercury in the mine polluted area of abbadia san salvatore mt amiata central italy |
| topic | moss bags biomonitoring GEM mercury pollution mining |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/1/2 |
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