Abstract
A reconnaissance survey was made of trace metals in surface waters and three aquatic bryophytes (Scapania undulata,Hygrohypnum luridum andPolytrichum commune) in the mid-Wales Ag-Pb mining district. This area is contaminated by heavy metals from past mining. Elevated levels of Ag, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were found in water and plant tissue. All the plants accumulated Ag and the other metals butScapania appears the most suitable as a plant monitor of Ag-polluted waters.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdullah, M. I. and Royle, L. G.: 1972,Nature (London) 238, 329.
Alloway, B. J. and Davies, B. E.: 1971,Geoderma 5, 197.
Batley, G. and Gardner, D.: 1977,Water Research 11, 745.
Bick, D. E.: 1974, ‘The Old Metal Mines of Mid-Wales’. Parts 1–3. The Pound House, Newent, Glocestershire.
Bowen, H. J. M.: 1966,Trace Elements in Biochemistry, Academic Press, London.
Burton, M. A. S.: 1976, ‘Metal Uptake and Accumulation by Aquatic Lower Plant Species’, Unpublished Ph. D. thesis, University of London.
Burton, M. A. S. and Peterson, P. J.: 1979,Environmental Pollution 19, 39.
Dietz, F.: 1973, ‘The Enrichment of Heavy Metals in Submerged Plants’, in S. H. Jenkins (ed.),Advances in Water Pollution Research: Proceedings 6th. Annual Conference, Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp. 53–62.
Durum, W. H. and Haffty, J.: 1963,Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 27, 1.
Freeman, R. A.: 1975, ‘Ecological Kinetics of Silver in an Alpine Ecosystem’, Ph. D. Thesis, Colorado State Univesity, Fort Collins, 87 pp.
Goodman, G. T. and Roberts, T. M.: 1971,Nature (London) 231, 287.
Jones, O. T.: 1922, ‘The Mining District of North Cardiganshire and West Montgomeryshire’, Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain; Special reports on the mineral resources of Great Britain. HMSO, London.
Livingston, D.: 1963, ‘Chemical Composition of Rivers and Streams’, United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper 440G, Government Printer, Washington, D.C.
McLean, R. O. and Jones, A. K.: 1975,Freshwater Biology 5, 431.
Newton, L.: 1944,Annals of Applied Biology 31, 1.
Pakarinen, P. and Tolonen, K.: 1976,Ambio 5, 38.
Shacklette, H. T. and Erdman, J. A.: 1982,Journal of Geochemical Exploration 17, 221.
Smith, I. C. and Carson, B. L.: 1977,Trace metals in the environment. Volume 2 — silver. Ann Arbor Science Publishers, Madison, Michigan, 469 pp.
Turekian, K. K.: 1971, ‘River, Tributaries and Estuaries’, ‘Impingement of Man on the Oceans’, J. Wileys and Sons, Wiley-Interscience, London, pp. 9–73.
Ward, N. I., Brooks, R. R., and Roberts, E.: 1977,Bryologist 80, 304.
Whitton, B. A. and Say, P. J.: 1975, ‘Heavy Metals’, in B. A. Whitton (ed.),River Ecology, Blackwells, Oxford, pp. 286–311.
Whitton, B. A., Say, P. J., and Jupp, B. P.: 1982,Scapania. Environmental Pollution (series B) 3, 299.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jones, K.C., Peterson, P.J. & Davies, B.E. Silver and other metals in some aquatic bryophytes from streams in the lead mining district of Mid-Wales, Great Britain. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 24, 329–338 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00161792
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00161792