{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T05:27:12Z","timestamp":1786685232785,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]],"date-time":"2026-08-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786492800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100016247","name":"Wroc\u0142aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100016247","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05cs8k179","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>One of the major environmental problems in recent years is the deterioration of atmospheric air quality. Human activity in urban areas leads to the emission of particulate mat-ter containing various chemical components, including toxic heavy metals, which can accumulate in living organisms. The accumulation of pollutants by various species in mountain environments remains insufficiently understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the potential use of two species commonly co-occurring in mountain habitats\u2014epiphytic lichen Parmelia sulcata Taylor and spruce Picea abies L., H. Karst.\u2014as biomonitors of anthropogenic atmospheric pollution. The study was conducted in the Central Sudetes (Poland), across three site categories characterized by varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure (green, rural and urban areas). The results confirm that Parmelia sulcata can serve as a species reflecting heavy-metal contamination originating from atmospheric deposition, mainly lead, iron, cadmium and chromium, whereas the needles of Picea abies are useful mainly for indicating manganese pollution. No significant effect of anthropogenic pressure on heavy-metal concentrations was found, which is most likely related to specific air circulation in mountain areas that leads to the dispersion of air pollutants and their accumulation by the study species in the higher regions of the Central Sudetes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants15162454","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]],"date-time":"2026-08-12T12:53:48Z","timestamp":1786539228000},"page":"2454","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Application of Parmelia sulcata Taylor and Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. as Biomonitors of Atmospheric Pollution in the Central Sudetes"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Katarzyna","family":"Darul","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Botany and Plant Ecology, Wroc\u0142aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-363 Wroc\u0142aw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9841-0192","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel","family":"Pruchniewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Botany and Plant Ecology, Wroc\u0142aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-363 Wroc\u0142aw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1016\/j.atmosenv.2016.11.016","article-title":"Determination of n-alkanes, PAHs and nitro-PAHs in PM2.5 and PM1 sampled in the surroundings of a municipal waste incinerator","volume":"149","author":"Sarti","year":"2017","journal-title":"Atmos. Environ."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Costabile, F., Gualtieri, M., Ancona, C., Canepari, S., and Decesari, S. (2020). Ultrafine particle features associated with pro-inflammatory and oxidative responses: Implications for health studies. Atmosphere, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/atmos11040414"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"WHO (2025). Health Risks of Air Pollution in Europe: HRAPIE-2 Project: Updated Guidance on Concentration\u2013Response Functions for Health Risk Assessment of Air Pollution in the WHO European Region, WHO Regional Office for Europe."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101215","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envc.2025.101215","article-title":"Fine particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10): A silent catalyst for chronic lung diseases in India; a comprehensive review","volume":"20","author":"Joshi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Environ. Chall."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1016\/S0269-7491(02)00121-5","article-title":"Differences in accumulation of PAHs and metals on the leaves of Tilia\u00d7euchlora and Pyrus calleryana","volume":"120","author":"Jouraeva","year":"2002","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2735","DOI":"10.5194\/acp-14-2735-2014","article-title":"Quantifying the contributions of natural emissions to ozone and total fine PM concentrations in the northern Hemisphere","volume":"14","author":"Zare","year":"2014","journal-title":"Atmos. Chem. Phys."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1016\/S0269-7491(00)00150-0","article-title":"Understorey vegetation along a heavy-metal pollution gradient in SW Finland","volume":"112","author":"Salemaa","year":"2001","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3560","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2011.08.008","article-title":"Trees as bioindicator of heavy metal pollution in three European cities","volume":"159","author":"Sawidis","year":"2011","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2007.07.004","article-title":"Comparison of the heavy metal bioaccumulation capacity of an epiphytic moss and an epiphytic lichen","volume":"151","author":"Basile","year":"2008","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1016\/S0006-3207(99)00052-X","article-title":"Faunal indicator taxa selection for monitoring ecosystem health","volume":"92","author":"Hilty","year":"2000","journal-title":"Biol. Conserv."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"157","article-title":"Is Austropotamobius pallipes a good bioindicator?","volume":"370\u2013371","author":"Reynolds","year":"2003","journal-title":"Bull. Fr. Peche Piscic."},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"8","article-title":"Bioindicators: Using organisms to measure","volume":"3","author":"Holt","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1095-8339.1990.tb02220.x","article-title":"Bryophytes and heavy metals: A literature review","volume":"104","author":"Tyler","year":"1990","journal-title":"Bot. J. Linn. Soc."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"Bargagli, R. (1998). Trace Elements in Terrestrial Plants. An Eco-Physiological Approach to Biomonitoring and Biorecovery, Springer."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112051","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phytochem.2019.112051","article-title":"Current knowledge on Parmelia genus: Ecological interest, phytochemistry, biological activities and therapeutic potential","volume":"165","year":"2019","journal-title":"Phytochemistry"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"\u015awis\u0142owski, P., Nowak, A., and Rajfur, M. (2021). Is your moss alive during active biomonitoring study?. Plants, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/plants10112389"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"995","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2486.2000.00376.x","article-title":"Particulate pollution capture by urban trees Effect of species and windspeed","volume":"6","author":"Beckett","year":"2000","journal-title":"Glob. Change Biol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4265","DOI":"10.1016\/S1352-2310(00)00213-2","article-title":"Conifer needles as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: Comparison with mosses and precipitation, role of the canopy","volume":"34","author":"Steinnes","year":"2000","journal-title":"Atmos. Environ."},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"Ostrycharz, D., Szymborska, K., B\u0142achuta, J., and Danielska, I. (2025). Roczna Ocena Jako\u015bci Powietrza w Wojew\u00f3dztwie Dolno\u015bl\u0105skim, Raport Wojew\u00f3dzki za Rok 2024."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Kondracki, J. (1994). Geografia Polski. Mezoregiony Fizyczno-Geograficzne, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102763","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apr.2025.102763","article-title":"Pollen harvested from trees as a biomonitor of atmospheric pollution by semi-volatile compounds in an urban area: Benzo(a)pyrene extracted from samples of Cupressus sempervirens pollen grains and PM10","volume":"17","year":"2026","journal-title":"Atmos. Pollut. Res."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.1016\/S0269-7491(01)00125-7","article-title":"Mosses and lichens as biomonitors of trace metals. A comparison study on Hypnum cupressiforme and Parmelia caperata in a former mining district in Italy","volume":"116","author":"Bargagli","year":"2002","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1333","DOI":"10.1016\/S0045-6535(00)00026-6","article-title":"Lichens and mosses as biomonitors of trace elements in areas with thermal springs and fumarole activity (Mt. Amiata, central Italy)","volume":"41","author":"Loppi","year":"2000","journal-title":"Chemosphere"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02055343","article-title":"Bioaccumulation of heavy metals using Parmelia sulcata and Parmelia caperata for air pollution studies","volume":"217","author":"Freitas","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"468","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2006.12.003","article-title":"Comparison between the accumulation capacity of four lichen species transplanted to a urban site","volume":"148","author":"Bergamaschi","year":"2007","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecolind.2017.03.017","article-title":"Lichen elemental content bioindicators for air quality in upper Midwest, USA: A model for large-scale monitoring","volume":"78","author":"Jovan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ecol. Indicat."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1016\/S0048-9697(00)00852-4","article-title":"The performance of two lichen species as bioaccumulators of trace metals","volume":"275","author":"Nimis","year":"2001","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"Hale, M.E. (1983). The Biology of Lichens, Edward Arnold."},{"key":"ref_29","unstructured":"Nimis, P.L., Scheidegger, C., and Wolseley, P.A. (2000). Monitoring with Lichens\u2014Monitoring Lichens, Springer."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1016\/S0269-7491(02)00269-5","article-title":"Epiphytic lichens as sentinels for heavy metal pollution at forest ecosystems (central Italy)","volume":"121","author":"Loppi","year":"2003","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_31","first-page":"29","article-title":"Pine needles (Pinus sylvestris L.) as bioindicators in the assessment of urban environmental contamination with heavy metals","volume":"15","author":"Parzych","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Ecol. Eng."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.1989.0047","article-title":"Deposition of atmospheric pollutants on forests","volume":"324","author":"Fowler","year":"1989","journal-title":"Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"283","DOI":"10.1016\/S0269-7491(99)00260-2","article-title":"The use of mosses and pine needles to detect persistent organic pollutants at local and regional scales","volume":"109","author":"Holoubek","year":"2000","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"36","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2016.11.063","article-title":"Foliar heavy metal uptake, toxicity and detoxification in plants: A comparison of foliar and root metal uptake","volume":"325","author":"Shahid","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1011","DOI":"10.1007\/s10661-025-14456-x","article-title":"Norway spruce (Picea abies) needles as potential indicator for heavy metal air pollution in Sarajevo","volume":"197","author":"Wiggenhauser","year":"2025","journal-title":"Environ. Monit. Assess."},{"key":"ref_36","unstructured":"Kabata-Pendias, A., and Pendias, H. (1999). Biogeochemia Pierwiastk\u00f3w \u015aladowych, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN."},{"key":"ref_37","first-page":"835","article-title":"Air pollution rapid assessment tool with the use of pine needles: A machine learning approach","volume":"168","author":"Szwed","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sylwan"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"970","DOI":"10.1007\/s10646-016-1654-6","article-title":"Accumulation of heavy metals and antioxidant responses in Pinus sylvestris L. needles in polluted and non-polluted sites","volume":"25","author":"Barczyk","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ecotoxicology"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"200085","DOI":"10.1016\/j.teadva.2023.200085","article-title":"Lichens as effective bioindicators for monitoring environmental changes: A comprehensive review","volume":"9","author":"Thakur","year":"2024","journal-title":"Total Environ. Adv."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1016\/S0269-7491(01)00203-2","article-title":"Distribution of trace metals in moss biomonitors and assessment of contamination sources in Portugal","volume":"118","author":"Figueira","year":"2002","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00279460","article-title":"Forest canopy transformation of atmospheric deposition","volume":"40","author":"Bredemeier","year":"1988","journal-title":"Water Air Soil Pollut."},{"key":"ref_42","unstructured":"Gmina Miejska Nowa Ruda (2004). Program Ochrony \u015arodowiska dla Gminy Miejskiej Nowa Ruda i Gminy Nowa Ruda."},{"key":"ref_43","unstructured":"Pender, K. (1975). Zbiorowiska Le\u015bne G\u00f3r Sowich, Pa\u0144stwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe."},{"key":"ref_44","unstructured":"Staffa, M., Janczak, J., Mazurski, K.R., Czerwi\u0144ski, J., and Migo\u0144, P. (1995). S\u0142ownik Geografii Turystycznej Sudet\u00f3w, Wydawnictwo I-BIS."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1007\/s11355-017-0335-9","article-title":"The use of perennial needles as bio-monitors for recently accumulated heavy metals","volume":"14","author":"Turkyilmaz","year":"2018","journal-title":"Landsc. Ecol. Eng."},{"key":"ref_46","first-page":"1822","article-title":"The Contribution of Urban Road Trees on Improving The Air Quality in an Urban Area","volume":"24","year":"2015","journal-title":"Fresenius Environ. Bull."},{"key":"ref_47","first-page":"3394","article-title":"Change of air quality in Kastamonu city in terms of particulate matter and CO2 amount","volume":"39","author":"Sevik","year":"2016","journal-title":"Oxid. Commun."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1007\/s10750-005-1802-0","article-title":"Mountain weather and climate: A general overview and a Focus on climatic change in the Alps","volume":"562","author":"Beniston","year":"2006","journal-title":"Hydrobiologia"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1016\/0269-7491(94)00042-C","article-title":"Correlation between altitude and heavy metal deposition in the Alps","volume":"89","author":"Zechmeister","year":"1995","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_50","first-page":"1","article-title":"Pilzsoziologische Untersuchungen am Stubnerkogel (Gasteiner Tal, Salzburg, Osterreich) unter Ber\u00fccksichtigung der Schwermetallsituation","volume":"47","author":"Peer","year":"1988","journal-title":"Nova Hedwig."},{"key":"ref_51","first-page":"139","article-title":"Projekt \u2018H\u00f6henprofil Zillertal\u2019-Zusammenschau","volume":"67","author":"Herman","year":"1992","journal-title":"FBVA Wien Berichte"},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.3103\/S0147687408020026","article-title":"Uptake of Nutrients and Heavy Metals by Pine Trees under Atmospheric Pollution","volume":"63","author":"Shcherbenko","year":"2008","journal-title":"Mosc. Univ. Soil Sci. Bull."},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03326119","article-title":"Pine (Pinus eldarica Medw.) needles as indicator for heavy metals pollution","volume":"7","author":"Kord","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Sci. Tech."},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"239","DOI":"10.1016\/S0269-7491(01)00106-3","article-title":"Influence of Extreme Pollution on the Inorganic Chemical Composition of Some Plants","volume":"115","author":"Reimann","year":"2001","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_55","unstructured":"Allen, S.E. (1989). Chemical Analysis of Ecological Materials, Blackwell Scientific Publications. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Radojevi\u0107, M., and Bashkin, V.N. (2006). Practical Environmental Analysis, The Royal Society of Chemistry.","DOI":"10.1039\/9781847552662-00073"},{"key":"ref_57","unstructured":"Tibico Software Inc. (2017). Statistica, Tibico Software Inc.. version 13."},{"key":"ref_58","unstructured":"Ter Braak, C.J.F., and \u0160milauer, P. (2012). Canoco Reference Manual and User\u2019s Guide: Software for Ordination, Microcomputer Power. version 5.0."}],"container-title":["Plants"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2223-7747\/15\/16\/2454\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T04:37:58Z","timestamp":1786682278000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2223-7747\/15\/16\/2454"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]]},"references-count":58,"journal-issue":{"issue":"16","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["plants15162454"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/plants15162454","relation":{},"ISSN":["2223-7747"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2223-7747","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]]}}}