Elemental composition of the sub-aquatic liverwort Pellia endiviifolia (Dicks.) Dum. in relation to heavy metal contamination

The concentrations of fifteen elements (B, Na, Mg, Al, P, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Pb) in thalli of the sub-aquatic liverwort Pellia endiviifolia (Dicks.) Dum. collected from seven sites in Japan, were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP). The average concentration of major essential elements in the thalli was: 49 600 µg g^–1 K, 9 140 µg g^–1 Na, 6740 µg g^–1 Ca, 3 840 µg g^–1 P, and 3 060 µg g^–1 Mg. Thalli of P. endiviifolia from sites polluted by heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb) contained high concentrations of these elements (maxima 0.88% Cu, 0.55% Zn and 0.36% Pb in the older thallus), thus demonstrating the potentiality of this liverwort as an indicator for heavy metal contamination.