Metal content of Sphagnum mosses from two Northern Canadian bog ecosystems

Samples of Sphagnum moss were collected from Kinoje Lake, northern Ontario, and Porter Lake, Northwest Territories (N.W.T.), Canada. The samples were analyzed for the elements Cd, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mg, Mn, Hg and Zn. On a dry-weight basis, Ca was highest in concentration followed by Mg, Fe and Mn. The other elements were an order of magnitude or more lower in concentration. In general, concentrations were similar to those reported in the literature from Scandinavia. The two Canadian sites were similar in elemental composition except that the Ontario site was higher in Cd and Pb, while the N.W.T. site was higher in Mg and Hg. These differences could be due to a combination of regional geochemical and human activity differences.