Accumulation of pollutants in terrestrial plants

Accumulation of contaminant residues in terrestrial plants

Background

The accumulation of pollutants in terrestrial plants emerged as a global concern in the mid-20th century, when industrialization and intensive agriculture led to widespread contamination by heavy metals, pesticides, and airborne toxins. Early studies in Europe and North America revealed alarming levels of contaminants in crops and wild flora, prompting international research collaborations. Over subsequent decades, mounting evidence from Asia, Africa, and Latin America underscored the ubiquity and persistence of this issue across diverse ecosystems.

Incidence

Mosses and lichens have a high capacity for interception and retention of airborne and waterborne contaminants. Bioaccumulation may occur of toxic metals, organochlorine residues, and radionuclides as a result of fallout from nuclear weapons testing and from nuclear reactor accidents.