Perfumes Large amounts of tree moss (approximately 1900 tons in 1997) are processed in
Grasse,
France for the
perfume industry.
Embalming In
ancient Egyptian
embalming,
P. furfuracea was found packed into the body cavity of
mummies, although it is not certain whether this was done because of the supposed preservative properties or the aromatic properties of the lichen.
Antimicrobial activity Soluble extracts from
P. furfuracea var.
furfuracea and var.
ceratea, as well as specific compounds found therein, have antimicrobial activity against a variety of microorganisms.
Medicinal use In
Alfacar and
Viznar,
Andalucia (
Spain),
P. furfuracea is used for respiratory complaints. The
thallus is washed and boiled for a long time to prepare a
decoction that is drunk. Water extracts of this species have been shown to have a potent protective effect on
genotoxicity caused by
bismuth compounds such as colloidal bismuth subcitrate.
Heavy metal sorption Pseudevernia furfuracea has been investigated for its ability to absorb
heavy metals from solution. The metal-binding
biosorption for
copper(II) and
nickel(II) was shown to follow the
Langmuir and
Freundlich isotherm models, suggesting it may have potential as a biosorbent for treatment of heavy metal wastes.
Pollution monitors Because specimens of
P. furfuracea tend to
bioaccumulate heavy metals like
Cr,
Zn,
Cd,
Pb,
Ni,
Fe,
Mn and
Cu proportional to their concentration in airborne particulates, they may be used as a
biomonitor of air quality, although it has been noted that both
trace metal accumulation and major element accumulation is partly dependent on the hydration level of the specimen. Also, the species is sensitive to
ozone concentrations: ozone fumigation results in biophysical, physiological, and structural impairment of specimens.
P. furfuracea has also been used to monitor the levels of
radionuclides such as
Cesium-137 in
Austria after the
Chernobyl nuclear accident. ==Conservation status==