Mines are known to cause severe environmental problems. Heavy metals appear in the environment (i.e., during combustion, extraction, and processing), surface water (i.e., through runoff and releases from storage and transport), and in the soil. Air pollution is noted to be the primary concern of the public, in regard to mines. The presence of heavy metals in the air are known to have a drastic effect on human health and cause ecological implications. Moss have become a popular plant in monitoring studies as they have the ability to receive and accumulate heavy metals through absorption from the atmosphere and from their rooting substrate. These plants are very simple morphologically and anatomically and as a result, they are often chosen as an ideal organism for biomonitoring. I collected a total of 90 moss samples from 3 primary radii (North, East, and West) at distances of 1km, 2km, and 5km from the mine boundary for chemical analysis in order to meet two primary objectives: 1) determine whether moss outside the limits of the mine contain heavy metals: Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), and Nickel (Ni); and 2) analyze the potential use and effectiveness of biomonitoring to assess ecosystem response. Due to COVID restrictions, only samples from East 5km and West 2km were analyzed. Using flame atomic adsorption spectrometry (FAAS), concentrations of Zn and Cu were found to be higher at the East 5km site than at the West 2km site due to elevation, wind trends, and leaching. Concentrations of Pb and Ni were undetectable by the FAAS. Moving forward, biomonitoring is a relatively inexpensive, passive way to assess ecosystem response. Air pollution levels change rapidly over time and moss as biomonitors are capable of monitoring and detecting external conditions averaged over periods of time. The environmental impacts of mines outside their boundaries is poorly studied and future research would be beneficial. A standardized protocol is lacking for sampling, sample preparation, and elemental analysis.
