Spatial distribution and temporal trend of airborne trace metal deposition in Albania studied by moss biomonitoring

This study describes the assessment of air quality in Albania using moss biomonitoring. The moss species, Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw) sps., was used in this study. Mosses were collected during August and September 2015 at 55 sampling sites more or less homogeneously distributed over the entire territory of the country. The spatial distribution and temporal trends of trace metal atmospheric deposition were studied through the determinationof twenty inorganic elements, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn. ICP-AES, AAS (As and Cd) and CV AAS (Hg) analysis were used to determine the concentration of the elements. The obtained data show significant differences in the spatial distribution of the elements derived from different emission sources. High emission loads of anthropogenic elements (Cr, Ni, Cu, As and Zn) were detected in the East, and of sea salt elements, particularly Na and K, in the Western coastal line. The distribution trend of the trace metals was studied by comparing the current data with the data of a similar study performed in 2010. Due to the differences in airborne metal concentrations, their scavenging ratios from the atmosphere to the terrestrial ecosystems, and their different uptake-leaching rates during wet and dry deposition respectively of 2015 and 2010 moss grown period, different concentration levels were found in 2010 and 2015 moss metal concentrations. The 2015 moss concentration levels of anthropogenic elements Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Zn and Na had increased, while K, Mg and Hg moss concentration data had declined. Other elements show non significant differences in mosses of both monitoring periods. The contamination levels that were evaluated by calculating the contamination factor (CF) for each element provided similar results for the 2015 and 2010 moss survey. Factor analysis (FA) was applied to identify the possible sources of elements in the 2015 moss samples. Five dominant factors were identified representing longrange and local atmospheric transport of wind-blown soil dust particles (F1); local emission from chromium industry and wind-blown mineral dust particles (F2); anthropogenic sources of traffic emission and wind-blown fine mineral dust particles derived from geogenic origin natural transport from the marine environment (F4); and long-range atmospheric deposition (F5). This study emphasis that moss biomonitoring combined with data analysis and inventory of emission sources are important tools to assess air quality in Albania

Origin and spatial distribution of metals in moss samples in Albania: a hotspot of heavy metal contamination in Europe

This study presents the spatial distribution of 37 elements in 48 moss samples collected over the whole territory of Albania and provides information on sources and factors controlling the concentrations of elements in the moss. High variations of trace metals indicate that the concentrations of elements are affected by different factors. Relations between the elements in moss, geochemical interpretation of the data, and secondary effects such as redox conditions generated from local soil and/or long distance atmospheric transport of the pollutants are discussed. Zr normalized data, and the ratios of different elements are calculated to assess the origin of elements present in the current moss samples with respect to different geogenic and anthropogenic inputs. Factor analysis (FA) is used to identify the most probable sources of the elements. Four dominant factors are identified, i.e. natural contamination;dust emission from local mining operations; atmospheric transport of contaminants from local and long distance sources; and contributions from air borne marine salts. Mineral particle dust from local emission sources is classified as the most important factor affecting the atmospheric deposition of elements accumulated in the current moss samples. The open slag dumps of mining operation in Albania is probably the main factor contributing to high contents of Cr, Ni, Fe, Ti and Al in the moss. Enrichment factors (EF) were calculated to clarify whether the elements in the present moss samples mainly originate from atmospheric deposition and/or local substrate materials