USE OF SPANISH MOSS (TILLANDSIA USNEOIDES L.) AS AN INDICATOR OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN URBAN AREAS
Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) samples were deployed at 36 locations in a 6 × 6-grid system in northeastern Texas during the summer months of 1989 and again in the winter months of 1990. Analytical methods, including inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP) and neutron activation analysis (NAA), were used in analyzing samples for sulfur, selenium, arsenic, sodium, and aluminum. Concentrations of most elements in Spanish moss samples were much higher in summer than winter. The highest concentrations of sulfur were found in Van Zandt, Wood, Titus, and Bowie counties. These results suggest that on average sulfur stays in the region in which it was generated. Potassium and sodium were highly correlated with latitude and seem to originate from the Gulf of Mexico.