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Contamination scale of atmospheric deposition for assessing air quality in Albania evaluated from most toxic heavy metal and moss biomonitoring

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Abstract

Pollution characterization on atmospheric deposition is assessed through the concentration level of most toxic trace metals (Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and metalloids (As) in moss samples to evaluate air quality of Albania. Moss biomonitoring method (Hypnum cupressiforme and Pseudoschleropodium purum collected from 44 sampling sites), followed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP/AES) and epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA), is used in this study for trace metal analysis. Screening ecological risk of trace metals is performed to atmospheric deposition referred to the methodology given by different authors and by using moss species as bioindicator. Model used for risk assessment was based on contamination factors (CF), pollution loads index (PLI), and the potential ecological index (RI). The CF and PLI values were both indicated a moderate to high pollution scale to the whole territory under investigation. RI values indicate the presence of a high ecological risk and the risk of human exposure to trace metals, particularly in the areas with the highest element concentrations. Box-Cox transformation was applied to the concentration matrix data before Pearson’s linear correlation and factor analysis (FA). The most significant factors affecting the association of the elements and their probable sources of origin were extracted from FA. Three dominant factors were extracted that represent the association of Cr, Ni, and Co with mineral particle dust, industrial local emission sources, and the use of pesticides and herbicides in agriculture particularly in the south part of the country.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to the staff of the Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Sts. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia, and the Sector of NAA and Applied Research Division of Nuclear Physics of FLNP JINR for helping in ICP-AES and NAA analysis of Albanian moss samples. Ph.D. student of Tirana University Sh. Allajbeu thanks JINR Directorate for the 6 months possibility working in FLNP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Vlora, Vlora, Albania

    Shaniko Allajbeu & Flora Qarri

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania

    Elda Marku & Pranvera Lazo

  3. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Elbasan, Elbasan, Albania

    Lirim Bekteshi

  4. Department of Plant Physiology, Agriculture University, Tirana, Albania

    Vjollca Ibro

  5. Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Area, Russia

    Marina V. Frontasyeva

  6. Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Sts. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia

    Trajce Stafilov

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  1. Shaniko Allajbeu
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  2. Flora Qarri
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Correspondence to Pranvera Lazo.

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Allajbeu, S., Qarri, F., Marku, E. et al. Contamination scale of atmospheric deposition for assessing air quality in Albania evaluated from most toxic heavy metal and moss biomonitoring. Air Qual Atmos Health 10, 587–599 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-016-0453-9

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