The use of mosses and pine needles to detect persistent organic pollutantsat local and regional scales

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analysed in mosses (Hypnum cup ressiforme) and pine needles (Pinus sylvestris) collected in the Czech Repu blic between 1988-94 at a regional background site in Kosetice, south Bohem ia (1988-94) and two industrial sources. One industrial site (sampled 1989- 91) in middle Moravia, was near a factory producing PAHs, carbon black and phthalates, the other (sampled 1991-93) near a coal and gas fuel production plant in western Bohemia. Selected chlorinated pesticides and polychlorina ted biphenyl congeners were also analysed in samples at the regional backgr ound site. This study clearly shows that vegetation sampling can be used to show spatial differences in the atmospheric burden of a range of persisten t organic pollutants with differences in the mixtures of compounds reflecti ng differences in their regional or local use/atmospheric emission. (C) 200 0 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.