Spatial patterns and temporal trends of trace elements in mosses from 1990 to 2020 in Germany

Abstract Background The accumulation of trace elements in mosses is used as an indirect measure of atmospheric deposition and an important complement to the techniques used to monitor the Geneva Air Pollution Convention. The aim of this paper is to quantify and map temporal and spatial trends of metal enrichment in mosses collected in Germany in 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2015 and 2020. Collection and chemical analysis of the moss samples were carried out according to international guidelines. Results The analysis shows that since 1990, the median concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Sb in the mosses have been decreasing significantly, with the with the highest decline of Pb (− 86%). This trend reversed in 2000 and 2005 and between 2015 and 2020 by increases in the concentrations of some trace elements. In the 2000 Moss Survey, higher concentrations were measured for Cd, Cu, Ni and Sb than in 2015, ranging from + 26% (Cu) to + 165% (Ni). For As and Pb, no significant changes can be observed in 2020 compared to 2015. The increase in metal concentrations in the mosses over the last five years does not correspond to the corresponding trends in reported metal emissions in Germany (2015–2020). In contrast, the long-term trends of the As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations measured in the mosses showed good overall correspondence with the emission trends in Germany (1990–2020). The long-term trends of the moss data are mostly weaker than those of the emission data. The spatial patterns of the temporal trends were mapped and discussed for As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Sb. Conclusions The study shows that for valid monitoring of atmospheric deposition, it is not enough to consider only emission data or the modelled deposition derived from these data. In this respect, the study provides one of many necessary contributions to the discussion on the extent to which analytes of current monitoring programmes are still relevant and up-to-date and whether there are new substances that are also relevant or even more relevant than existing analytes and to what extent this should be taken into account in designing future environmental monitoring.