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The objective of this work is to validate the use of the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica as biomonitor of NH(4)(+) aquatic pollution. In order to achieve this objective we needed to understand the pattern of uptake of NH(4)(+) by the moss and evaluate the impact of high concentrations on its physiological performance. The cellular location of NH(4)(+) in the moss is crucial for understanding its monitoring capacity. We were able to show that a sequential elution technique, based on the use of NiCl(2) as an efficient displacing agent, allowed the quantification of the cellular location of NH(4)(+). This was done along a concentration gradient and time of exposure. The extracellular and intracellular NH(4)(+) concentrations that caused significant physiological impact in membrane permeability of F. antipyretica were the same that caused significant decreasing in the photosynthetic capacity of the same moss. The former NH(4)(+) concentration thresholds were shown to decrease with increasing exposure time. These results are important since under natural conditions lower concentration of NH(4)(+) are present in waters but for very long periods of time. The importance of applying this knowledge in biomonitoring studies to fulfil the requirements of the Water Framework Directive is discussed.

Toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be found in wastewaters and sewages released from industries and/or urban areas. When discharged untreated to stream waters, they can be a problem to human health. This work represents the first attempt to use PAH and metal concentrations in aquatic moss transplants together with land-use information to identify water pollution sources in urban areas. To do this, the moss Fontinalis antipyretica was collected from a natural stream and transplanted to four different streams in a densely populated area of Lisbon, Portugal. After three months of exposure, mosses were collected and analyzed for metals and for the 16 priority PAHs recommended by the U.S. EPA. Urban streams seem to have a scattered contamination of 6-ring PAHs. Correlations among land-use, metal concentrations, and PAH concentrations indicated that areas occupied by activities of tertiary and industrial sectors had higher PAH concentrations in transplanted mosses, mainly for the sum of the 16 EPA-PAHs and for the 2-, 3- and 5-ringed PAHs, than areas occupied by urban and wooded areas. These PAHs were associated with enhanced Zn and Cu and land use activities that linked the sites to high traffic density. Industrial land use influences PAH concentration in water up to 1000 m of distance from the stream, whereas tertiary sector land use influences it up to 500 m.

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