Sphagnum fuscum moss as an indicator of atmospheric cadmium deposition across Canada

The concentration of cadmium was determined in samples of Sphagnum fuscum moss collected from 37 sites across Canada from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and Labrador Sea. At 22 of the sites, Cd was less than 0.2 mg kg(-1), the detection limit. Elevated Cd levels were only found in mosses collected in the vicinity of the smelters at Flin Flon, Manitoba, and Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, where a maximum concentration of 12 mg kg(-1) was measured.