2 The Methodology of the Study
11
continuously exposed to the polluted areas (UNDP-Albania 2010). The lack of a
national network for air quality monitoring as well as the data on morbidity caused
by air pollution, makes it impossible to assess the health impact of air pollution in
Albania (UNDP-Albania 2010).
2.2 Data Collection
2.2.1 Sampling
Sampling was performed during the relatively dry seasons of autumn 2010
(September–October, 2010) and estate 2011 (June–July 2011). One of the recommended moss species, H. cupressiforme (Hedv.), widely spread in Albania, was used
as air pollution bioindicator. Moss samples were collected and identified under the
supervision of Dr. Jani Marka from the Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural
Sciences, University of Tirana. Marka and Sabovljevic (2011) had listed bryophyte
records from Albania. The living organisms of terrestrial mosses H. cupressiforme
(Hedv.) are collected directly at each sampling site. The cleaned green and greenbrownish parts of the moss (H. cupressiforme (Hedv.) sps.) that represent the last
3 years of moss growth, were selected for analysis. Boquete et al. (2020) showed that
the green parts of P. purum, and likely of other mosses with similar growth forms
(like H. cupressiforme (Hedv.) sps), are the best choice for passive biomonitoring
of air quality and could be used to compare the results from different studies. The
use of the terrestrial mosses in metal biomonitoring enables spatial and temporal
comparisons including regional biogeochemical mapping and detection of important element sources (Aboal et al. 2010) of relative and integrated concentrations of
the elements.
Sampling was performed according to the guidelines of the LRTAP ConventionICP Vegetation protocol and sampling strategy of the European Programme on
Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal Atmospheric Deposition (ICP Vegetation 2010).
Moss samples were collected at a total of 62 sampling sites. Due to the geographical diversity sampling locations were not evenly homogenously distributed and a
random sampling scheme was obtained. To ensure a systematic sampling scheme
(EPA QA/G-5S 2002) with a homogeneous distribution of more or less equal densities (1.5 moss samples/1000 km
2 ) (Harmens et al. 2010; Qarri et al. 2014), the
number of sampling sites was reduced to 47 in 2010 moss survey. The sampling
locations were situated at least 300 m away from main roads or buildings and 100 m
from small roads and single houses. Most of the samples were collected in open
areas. Composite moss samples were formed by five to ten sub-samples collected
within an area of 50 × 50 sq m. The sampling sites in mountain areas were positioned in deep valleys by keeping the altitude lower than 1000 m. Only five samples
in the South-East (Korca-Pogradec region) were collected from the plateau region
with an elevation lower than 1300 m. To prevent any contamination of the samples,
11
continuously exposed to the polluted areas (UNDP-Albania 2010). The lack of a
national network for air quality monitoring as well as the data on morbidity caused
by air pollution, makes it impossible to assess the health impact of air pollution in
Albania (UNDP-Albania 2010).
2.2 Data Collection
2.2.1 Sampling
Sampling was performed during the relatively dry seasons of autumn 2010
(September–October, 2010) and estate 2011 (June–July 2011). One of the recommended moss species, H. cupressiforme (Hedv.), widely spread in Albania, was used
as air pollution bioindicator. Moss samples were collected and identified under the
supervision of Dr. Jani Marka from the Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural
Sciences, University of Tirana. Marka and Sabovljevic (2011) had listed bryophyte
records from Albania. The living organisms of terrestrial mosses H. cupressiforme
(Hedv.) are collected directly at each sampling site. The cleaned green and greenbrownish parts of the moss (H. cupressiforme (Hedv.) sps.) that represent the last
3 years of moss growth, were selected for analysis. Boquete et al. (2020) showed that
the green parts of P. purum, and likely of other mosses with similar growth forms
(like H. cupressiforme (Hedv.) sps), are the best choice for passive biomonitoring
of air quality and could be used to compare the results from different studies. The
use of the terrestrial mosses in metal biomonitoring enables spatial and temporal
comparisons including regional biogeochemical mapping and detection of important element sources (Aboal et al. 2010) of relative and integrated concentrations of
the elements.
Sampling was performed according to the guidelines of the LRTAP ConventionICP Vegetation protocol and sampling strategy of the European Programme on
Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal Atmospheric Deposition (ICP Vegetation 2010).
Moss samples were collected at a total of 62 sampling sites. Due to the geographical diversity sampling locations were not evenly homogenously distributed and a
random sampling scheme was obtained. To ensure a systematic sampling scheme
(EPA QA/G-5S 2002) with a homogeneous distribution of more or less equal densities (1.5 moss samples/1000 km
2 ) (Harmens et al. 2010; Qarri et al. 2014), the
number of sampling sites was reduced to 47 in 2010 moss survey. The sampling
locations were situated at least 300 m away from main roads or buildings and 100 m
from small roads and single houses. Most of the samples were collected in open
areas. Composite moss samples were formed by five to ten sub-samples collected
within an area of 50 × 50 sq m. The sampling sites in mountain areas were positioned in deep valleys by keeping the altitude lower than 1000 m. Only five samples
in the South-East (Korca-Pogradec region) were collected from the plateau region
with an elevation lower than 1300 m. To prevent any contamination of the samples,