Heavy-metal accumulation in the moss Pleurozium schreberi in the surroundings of two peat-fired power plants in Finland

• Published in: Annales botanici fennici 1981, Vol.18 (3), p.245-253
• Main Author: Folkeson, L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: air pollution; Ashes; Calcium; Chromium; Heavy metals; Iron; Lead; Manganese; Mosses; Peat; plant ecology; Pleurozium schreberi; Vanadium
• ISSN: 0003-3847; 1797-2442

Metal concentrations were determined in the feather moss Pleurozium schreberi sampled at eight distances from peat-fired heat-producing plants at Niinisalo (11 MW) and Simpele (121 MW). At 100 m from the 14.5-m-tall stacks of the Niinisalo plant, the Ca, Fe and Cr concentrations are considerably elevated, being four to nine times the background level, which is reached within only 450—750 m of the plant. Lead, Ni and V are slightly elevated, Mn, Cu, Zn and Cd not at all. At 250 m from the 84-m-tall stack of the Simpele plant, the Cu and Cr levels are three times and the Fe, Zn, Pb, Ni, V and Cd levels less than twice the background value, which is reached at 500 m for all the metals except Fe, Ni and Cr. Calcium shows no gradient in the area (0.25—23 km). The Mn level decreases towards the plant. Except for Cu and Cr, the increase in metal levels is fairly small, despite the large peat consumption. Other sources within the factory area possibly contribute to the metal accumulation in the near vicinity. The difference between Niinisalo (no purification) and Simpele (efficient electric precipitator) stresses the need for adequate purification of effluents from peat-fired plants. However, secondary heavy-metal pollution may arise from unsupervised dumping of peat ash.