Tiny but Mighty

Spectacular Sequestration

Mosses and lichens are tiny pollution catchers! Since they don’t have roots, they absorb everything—from water to harmful metals—right through their surfaces. Their secret? Super-porous cell walls full of special “sticky spots” that attract positively charged metal ions like lead, copper, and zinc. These ions latch onto the moss or lichen like Velcro!

Mosses mostly soak up heavy metals from water, while lichens absorb them from the air. Some metals get absorbed inside their cell walls, which is what happens with useful nutrients like zinc or copper. Harmful metals like lead mostly stay stuck on the outside—where they can’t do as much damage to the living organism.

When scientists study mosses and lichens, they can figure out which pollutants are in the environment, and how much. These tiny but mighty “bio guardians” are powerful tools for keeping the Earth clean. They're not just pretty—they’re protecting our air and water, one ion at a time!