Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Air Quality Assessment by Moss Biomonitoring and Trace Metals Atmospheric Deposition

Researchers used moss biomonitoring with Hypnum cupressiforme across Albania to assess atmospheric deposition of trace metals, identifying anthropogenic pollution hotspots and demonstrating that moss can serve as a cost-effective tool for monitoring air quality and microplastic deposition at national scale.

2022 Aerosol and Air Quality Research 29 citations
Article Tier 2

The Use of Mosses in Biomonitoring of Air Pollution in the Terrestrial Environment: A Review

This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews the use of mosses as biomonitors for air pollution by metals and organic compounds.

2023 Ochrona Srodowiska i Zasobów Naturalnych - Environmental Protection and Natural Resources 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Monitoring moss reveals widespread deposition of airborne microplastics across the UK – practical lessons and recommendations

Researchers evaluated the use of moss as a biomonitor for atmospheric microplastic deposition across the UK, drawing on established protocols for monitoring metals and nutrients in mosses. The study demonstrated that moss biomonitoring is practical for large-scale spatial surveys and provided recommendations for standardized collection, processing, and quantification methods.

2025
Article Tier 2

Potential Role of Mosses in Evaluating Airborne Microplastic Deposition in Terrestrial Ecosystems

This review examines the potential of mosses to serve as cost-effective biomonitors for tracking airborne microplastic deposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Preliminary studies indicate that mosses accumulate higher concentrations of microplastics than lichens, likely due to their physical structure. The study outlines steps needed to develop a standardized, reliable methodology for using mosses to monitor airborne microplastic pollution across both inhabited and remote regions.

2026 Journal of Xenobiotics
Article Tier 2

Moss as a biomonitor for the atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic microfibres

Researchers used moss (Bryophyta) as a passive biomonitor to track atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic microfibres, finding that moss samples from various locations accumulated synthetic fibres reflecting local sources of airborne plastic contamination. The study establishes moss monitoring as a practical method for assessing microplastic atmospheric deposition without active collection equipment.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of atmospherically deposited microplastics in moss samples

Researchers developed and evaluated methods for detecting atmospherically deposited microplastics in moss samples, adapting established moss biomonitoring frameworks used for heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants to enable both particle-based and mass-based microplastic analysis.

2024
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the air quality in an industrial zone using active moss biomonitoring

This paper is not relevant to microplastics — it uses moss-bag biomonitoring to assess heavy metal air pollution near a metallurgical industrial facility in Tula, Russia.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Atmospheric Pollution by Selected Elements and PAHs during 12-Month Active Biomonitoring of Terrestrial Mosses

This 12-month study used three species of moss to monitor atmospheric pollution from heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, finding that different moss species were better suited for tracking different pollutant types. Element concentrations increased steadily over time, while organic pollutants peaked around 5 to 6 months of exposure. While focused on air quality monitoring, these biomonitoring techniques could potentially be adapted to track airborne microplastic deposition in communities.

2024 Atmosphere 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Biomonitoring mit Moosen zur Erfassung atmosphärischer Deposition von Metallen, Stickstoff, persistenten organischen Verbindungen und Mikroplastik/Biomonitoring with mosses for the investigation of atmospheric deposition of metals, nitrogen, persistent organic compounds and microplastics

This report summarizes German moss biomonitoring data from 1990 to 2015, showing significant declines in heavy metal deposition but persistently high nitrogen levels, and presents early results from new methods for detecting microplastics in moss samples. Mosses accumulate airborne pollutants and serve as cost-effective tools for tracking atmospheric deposition trends.

2022 Gefahrstoffe Reinhaltung der Luft 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Fine-tuning the use of moss transplants to map pollution by Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in urban areas

Researchers evaluated the use of mossphere transplants to map atmospheric deposition of potentially toxic elements in urban areas, finding that the devitalized moss bags accurately reflect spatial pollution gradients and can be fine-tuned for city-scale biomonitoring.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of Atmospheric Metals and Nitrogen Deposition in Mosses: Temporal Development between 1990 and 2020, Comparison with Emission Data and Tree Canopy Drip Effects

Researchers analyzed 30 years of European moss monitoring data from 1990 to 2020, tracking temporal trends in atmospheric deposition of metals and nitrogen, with the 2020 campaign also including the first broad-scale measurement of microplastic accumulation in mosses.

2023 Pollutants 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of atmospheric metal and nitrogen deposition in mosses 1990-2020, comparison with emission data and tree canopy drip effects

This European monitoring study tracked heavy metal and nitrogen deposition in mosses from 1990 to 2020, finding declining metal levels in most countries due to emissions reductions. The findings provide context for understanding how industrial pollution accumulates in remote terrestrial ecosystems.

2023
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Lichens and Mosses as Biomonitors of Airborne Microplastics

Researchers compared lichens and mosses as biomonitors for airborne microplastics, finding that both organisms effectively capture and accumulate atmospheric microplastic particles, offering a simpler alternative to traditional labor-intensive sampling methods.

2023 Atmosphere 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Moss, Lichens and Phytobenthos Bioindicators of Pollution

This review discusses the use of mosses, lichens, and aquatic algae as biomonitors of heavy metal pollution in air and water, covering both monitoring techniques and recent case studies. It is focused on heavy metal monitoring rather than microplastics specifically, but biomonitoring methods discussed are relevant to broader environmental pollution assessment.

2020 Open Access Journal of Waste Management & Xenobiotics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Moss Bags as Biomonitors of Atmospheric Microplastic Deposition in Urban Environments

Researchers tested moss bags as a biomonitoring tool for measuring atmospheric microplastic deposition across an urban gradient in southern Ontario, Canada. They found that moss bags effectively captured microplastics, with higher deposition in more urbanized areas. The study demonstrates that moss-based monitoring is a practical, low-cost method for tracking airborne microplastic pollution in cities.

2023 Biology 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Biomonitoring of Airborne Microplastic Deposition in Semi-Natural and Rural Sites Using the Moss Hypnum cupressiforme

Researchers demonstrated that the native moss Hypnum cupressiforme can serve as a biomonitor of atmospheric microplastic deposition, detecting synthetic fibers and fragments at semi-natural and rural sites in southern Italy and revealing that airborne microplastic contamination extends well beyond urban areas.

2023 Plants 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Mapping of measured concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mosses and correlation of their surface estimations with maps on modelled atmospheric deposition in Central Europe

Researchers conducted a German pilot moss survey analyzing persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and microplastics to validate new analytical methods and map the spatial distribution of atmospheric contaminants across the country.

2025 University Library Vechta
Article Tier 2

Multivariate Analysis of Factors Influencing the Concentration of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Microplastics in Mosses Sampled Across Germany in 2020

Mosses growing across Germany were analyzed as living pollution sensors, and the results show that concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in mosses are driven by a combination of large-scale atmospheric drift and proximity to local industrial or agricultural sources. Microplastics in the mosses were harder to model statistically, with only styrene-butadiene rubber and polyethylene particles showing meaningful patterns linked to nearby sources. The study reinforces the value of national moss monitoring networks for tracking atmospheric pollution, but highlights that denser sampling is needed to reliably map microplastic deposition across a country.

2026 Atmosphere
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Persistent organic pollutants in moss samples from Germany

Researchers analyzed moss samples from Germany for both microplastics and persistent organic pollutants to assess atmospheric deposition. Mosses act as passive collectors of airborne contaminants, and the study documents widespread co-exposure to plastic particles and legacy chemicals in terrestrial ecosystems.

2023
Article Tier 2

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

Researchers analyzed spatial patterns and temporal trends in trace element concentrations in mosses across Germany from 1990 to 2020, using moss bioaccumulation as an indirect measure of atmospheric deposition trends for the Geneva Air Pollution Convention. The study identified significant changes in metal deposition patterns over three decades, with implications for air quality monitoring and environmental policy.

2024 Environmental Sciences Europe 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mapping of measured concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mosses and correlation of their surface estimations with maps on modelled atmospheric deposition in Central Europe

Researchers conducted a German pilot moss survey to validate analytical methods for organic contaminants and develop microplastic analysis methodology, mapping the spatial distribution of persistent organic pollutants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons across Germany.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe
Article Tier 2

Selection of sampling sites in Germany for the International Moss Survey 2020 using statistics and decision modelling

Researchers selected 25 moss sampling sites across Germany for the International Moss Survey 2020 using statistics and decision modeling, including pilot studies on moss bioindication for atmospheric deposition of persistent organic pollutants and microplastics, building on data from the 2015 Moss Survey.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe
Article Tier 2

Evidence on the effectiveness of mosses for biomonitoring of microplastics in fresh water environment

Sphagnum moss was tested as a biomonitor for microplastic pollution in freshwater, and the moss successfully intercepted and retained plastic particles including fibers and fragments from stream water. The study establishes mosses as practical, low-cost biomonitoring tools for tracking microplastic contamination in freshwater environments.

2018 Chemosphere 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Lichen and Moss Transplants for Monitoring the Deposition of Airborne Microfibers

Researchers compared lichen and moss transplants as tools for monitoring airborne microfiber pollution across urban sites in Italy. They found that lichens accumulated significantly more microfibers than mosses and were better at detecting differences between locations. The study suggests that lichen transplants offer a more effective and accessible biomonitoring approach for tracking airborne microplastic contamination in cities.

2025 Sustainability 4 citations