the data on morbidity caused by air pollution, makes it impossible to assess the
health impact of air pollution in Albania.
Air quality in Albania was evaluated by moss biomonitoring and metals atmospheric deposition based on the concentration data of 51 elements in moss samples
collected during 2010/2011 moss biomonitoring survey conducted at the same time
with similar study conducted in European scale. The moss survey provides a
complementary method to assess spatial patterns and temporal trends of atmospheric deposition of air pollutants to the vegetation (based on monitoring in the
field) and to identify areas at risk from air pollution at a high spatial resolution that
reports on the effects of air pollutants to the natural vegetation and crops.
This research is a part of the international programme (ICP Vegetation
Programme, UNECE) investigating the impacts of air pollutants on crops and
natural vegetation. The bryophyte moss species Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw) sps.
wase used as bioindicator of trace metal atmospheric deposition. Bryophytes act as
precise and sensitive bioindicators as well as bioaccumulators of metal deposition in
the environment. The goal of this study was to identify factors leading to the high
levels of trace metals in atmospheric deposition in Albania identified by 2010/2011
moss biomonitoring surveys and to extend the study to the associations and the
relationships between the elements content. It may help to identify the most
probable sources of the metals origin and the areas at risk to humans and environmental ecosystems.
Wide ranges of metals concentrations were found for Al, As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Ni, Co,
Cr, Fe, V, Eu, Tm, Lu, and Mn. The highest content of Fe, Cr, Ni, Zn and V was
found in the eastern part of the country that is characterized by lower population
density compared with the western part. Air quality of Albania is comparable with
the neighboring countries. The problems to the high content of Cr, Ni, V, Al, Fe and
Hg, generally higher than the European countries, were identified and the affecting
factors are presented. The local emitters like iron and chromium metallurgy, cement
industry, oil refinery, mining industry, and long-range transport were distinguished
as main contributors of trace metals in atmospheric deposition of Albania. In
addition, the natural sources, from the accumulation of these metals in mosses
caused by metal enriched soils, associated with wind blowing fine mineral dust
particles were pointed as another possibility of local emitting factors. It was found
that the local emitting sources had shown higher contribution than the long-range
transport for elements with high content.
This study established the first moss biomonitoring of trace metals at-mospheric
deposition in Albania. The concentration level of trace metals contents in moss
samples were affected by long-range transport of the pollutant and by local emission sources derived by natural and anthropogenic factors. It provided important
information data of the baseline level of the elements and about the concentration
level of trace metal atmospheric deposition in Albania that are compared with the
neighboring countries and in a wider scale with the European countries. These data
could be utilized for future biomonitoring research in atmospheric deposition of
metals in Albania.
xiv
Abstract
health impact of air pollution in Albania.
Air quality in Albania was evaluated by moss biomonitoring and metals atmospheric deposition based on the concentration data of 51 elements in moss samples
collected during 2010/2011 moss biomonitoring survey conducted at the same time
with similar study conducted in European scale. The moss survey provides a
complementary method to assess spatial patterns and temporal trends of atmospheric deposition of air pollutants to the vegetation (based on monitoring in the
field) and to identify areas at risk from air pollution at a high spatial resolution that
reports on the effects of air pollutants to the natural vegetation and crops.
This research is a part of the international programme (ICP Vegetation
Programme, UNECE) investigating the impacts of air pollutants on crops and
natural vegetation. The bryophyte moss species Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw) sps.
wase used as bioindicator of trace metal atmospheric deposition. Bryophytes act as
precise and sensitive bioindicators as well as bioaccumulators of metal deposition in
the environment. The goal of this study was to identify factors leading to the high
levels of trace metals in atmospheric deposition in Albania identified by 2010/2011
moss biomonitoring surveys and to extend the study to the associations and the
relationships between the elements content. It may help to identify the most
probable sources of the metals origin and the areas at risk to humans and environmental ecosystems.
Wide ranges of metals concentrations were found for Al, As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Ni, Co,
Cr, Fe, V, Eu, Tm, Lu, and Mn. The highest content of Fe, Cr, Ni, Zn and V was
found in the eastern part of the country that is characterized by lower population
density compared with the western part. Air quality of Albania is comparable with
the neighboring countries. The problems to the high content of Cr, Ni, V, Al, Fe and
Hg, generally higher than the European countries, were identified and the affecting
factors are presented. The local emitters like iron and chromium metallurgy, cement
industry, oil refinery, mining industry, and long-range transport were distinguished
as main contributors of trace metals in atmospheric deposition of Albania. In
addition, the natural sources, from the accumulation of these metals in mosses
caused by metal enriched soils, associated with wind blowing fine mineral dust
particles were pointed as another possibility of local emitting factors. It was found
that the local emitting sources had shown higher contribution than the long-range
transport for elements with high content.
This study established the first moss biomonitoring of trace metals at-mospheric
deposition in Albania. The concentration level of trace metals contents in moss
samples were affected by long-range transport of the pollutant and by local emission sources derived by natural and anthropogenic factors. It provided important
information data of the baseline level of the elements and about the concentration
level of trace metal atmospheric deposition in Albania that are compared with the
neighboring countries and in a wider scale with the European countries. These data
could be utilized for future biomonitoring research in atmospheric deposition of
metals in Albania.
xiv
Abstract