Spanish Moss, a Sensor for Lead

Biological Monitoring of Heavy Metal Pollution

“…Martinez et al (1971) suggested that Spanish moss could be used as a sensor for atmospheric lead; they recorded high concentrations (up to 966j.lgPbg-1 dry weight) in samples from major highways in the Gulf coast area of America. It is a rootless plant which grows suspended from the branches of trees and other structures and has branching stems up to 25 ft long bearing filiform leaves at nodes.…”

Baseline element concentrations in soils and plants, Bull Island, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina, U.S.A.

“…Early work by Martinez et al (1971), Connor (1973), andSchrimpff (1981) and more recent work by Benzing (1989) and Schaug et al (1990) is also sensitive to the anthropogenic gasses sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (03) Benzing, 1990). Like many Tillandsia species, it is an epiphyte ('air plant') and does not possess roots, obtaining all of its nutrients from the atmosphere through dry and wet deposition.…”

Airborne chemical elements in Spanish moss

“…Shacklette and Cuthbert (1967, p. 43) reported that the iodine content of five Spanish moss specimens averaged 5 ppm in dry matter and ranged from 4 to 7 ppm. Martinez, Nathany, and Dharmarajan (1971) reported lead analyses of eight Spanish moss samples from Baton Rouge, La., from sites near heavily traveled highways and from sites more distant from heavy traffic. They found that the lead concentration was greatest in the samples from sites near highways, with a maximum of 0.085 percent (850 ppm) in the dry samples, whereas samples from sites more distant from highways contained as little as 0.0051 percent (51 ppm).…”