Is a Combination of Metals More Toxic to Mosses Than a Single Metal?

Increasing pollution in the environment calls for the precise determination of metal toxicity in plants as they are at the base of the food chain. Mosses are often employed as biomonitors and provide good models for testing metal adsorption. However, species may react differently and many studies only look at one metal at a time, even though toxicity levels are affected by metal combinations. In this study, the effects of CuCl2, MnCl2, FeCl2, and Sb-acetate were examined individually and in combinations on the moss species Pohlia drummondii and Physcomitrium patens. In general, the two species reacted differently to the presence of trace metals; although, for both, the tolerance limit was at 100 mu M. Overall, individual metals were less toxic than combinations, with some exceptions for Fe and Mn in P. patens. Additionally, we demonstrate that multiple combinations of metals are especially toxic if Cu is present.

Automated summary

As pollution in the environment worsens, it becomes crucial to accurately determine metal toxicity in plants. Mosses are commonly used as biomonitors, but different species may have varying reactions to metals. This study examined the effects of CuCl2, MnCl2, FeCl2, and Sb-acetate individually and in combinations on two moss species, and found that metal combinations were generally more toxic than individual metals, especially when Cu was present.