Seasonal passive metal monitoring during the years 2003-2006 in nainital of Kumaon Hills (India) by moss Racomitrium crispulum

摘要

With the aim to obtain information about atmospheric deposition of metals all over the western Himalayas (Kumaon region) using moss as bioaccumulator, a biomonitoring program was setup by financial aid of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. Present study is a part of the same monitoring program. The moss Racomitrium crispulum was sampled from 24 localities of Nainital of the Kumaon Hills to indicate relative level of four metals: Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd. In summation of undertaken metals the highest 70% concentration of metals was observed in centre of the city. A gradient of decrease in metal was recorded while projecting away from city centre (zero km). A trend of metal precipitation was observed amongst seasons, viz. summer > winter > monsoon. The accumulation level of metals in the moss also varies amongst themselves, i.e. Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. The moss metal-metal regression analysis correlation (R) exhibits that it gives significance for Pb-Zn (0.8088), Cu-Zn (0.6186) and Cu-Pb (0.5611).