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Updated: May 9, 2026

Deployment and Retrieval of Mineral Samplers
Published on: January 20, 2026
Trace elements biomonitoring in a historical mining district (les Malines, France)
Jean-Baptiste Saunier1, Guillaume Losfeld, Rémi Freydier
1Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 CNRS, 1919 Route de Mende, F34293 Montpellier, France.
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to investigate the trace elements (TE) contents of potential biomonitors in a historical Zn-Pb mining district: apiary products (honey, royal-jelly and beeswax) lichen and moss were sampled and analysed. In spite of high TE concentrations in mining waste and soil, apiary products are free of TE contamination originating from historical mining. Lichen/moss show high TE levels, which suggest atmospheric input of local dust. Pb isotopes analysis proved the origin of TE found in lichen/moss to be mainly mining waste. These results help discuss the choice of relevant organisms for monitoring TE in the environment and bring additional data on the potential impacts of brownfields left after mining, especially on food products from apiaries.
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