Chapter 5
Elements Sensitive to Red/Ox Conditions
(Cr, Co, Mo, U, V, Ni and Zn)
Pranvera Lazo, Flora Qarri, Shaniko Allajbeu, Sonila Kane, Lirim Bekteshi,
Marina Frontasyeva, and Trajce Stafilov
The variation on the content of redox sensitive elements (U, V, Mo, Co, Cr) and the
elements sensitive to redox conditions, such as Ni and Zn, in moss samples may
reflect the regional redox conditions that may affect to the composition of mineral
dust particles (Lazo et al. 2018). Most of these elements are classified also as litophile,
calcophile and/or biophile elements (U, V, Mo and Zn) and are discussed before; only
three elements (Cr, Ni and Co) will be analyzed here. The geology of Albania has a
fundamental two-fold division, with a western domain of monotonous sediments and
an eastern domain of basic and acid volcanic rocks and ultramafic massifs (Shallari
et al. 1998). The soils derived by weathering of ultramafic rocks are characterized
by high contents of geogenic potentially toxic elements, in particular Cr, Ni, and
Co which usually exceed their maximum permitted limits of soils, and representing
serious environmental risks for ecosystems and human health (Kelepertzis et al. 2013;
Marescotti et al. 2019) directly by soil dermal contact or through the inhalation of
wind blowing soil dust fine particles that are present in the air. The mechanisms of
air pollution induced several health effects through the fine particulate and ultrafine
particles (PM ≤ 2.5 µm and PM ≤ 0.1 µm), ozone, nitrogen oxides, and transition
metals which are potent oxidants or able to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS)
(Lodovici and Bigagli 2008). The generation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and other
reactive oxygen species (ROS) through transition metal-mediated pathways is one
of the main hypotheses for PM toxicity (Vidrio et al. 2008). High content of redox
metals in plants could induce both oxidative and genotoxic stress response, leading
to cytotoxicity and damage to different cellular components, including proteins,
membranes, and nucleic acids, therefore, generating typical abiotic stress response
in plants (Panda and Choudhury 2005; Dutta et al. 2018). On the other hand, the
excessive Cr content in plants could induce the oxidative stress leading to the disruption of plant cellular functions and structure, and lipid peroxidation that is considered
as an indication of oxidative damage by which the integrity and functionality of the
membrane is lost (Panda and Choudhury 2005).
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
P. Lazo et al., The Evaluation of Air Quality in Albania by Moss Biomonitoring and Metals
Atmospheric Deposition, SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62355-5_5
69
Elements Sensitive to Red/Ox Conditions
(Cr, Co, Mo, U, V, Ni and Zn)
Pranvera Lazo, Flora Qarri, Shaniko Allajbeu, Sonila Kane, Lirim Bekteshi,
Marina Frontasyeva, and Trajce Stafilov
The variation on the content of redox sensitive elements (U, V, Mo, Co, Cr) and the
elements sensitive to redox conditions, such as Ni and Zn, in moss samples may
reflect the regional redox conditions that may affect to the composition of mineral
dust particles (Lazo et al. 2018). Most of these elements are classified also as litophile,
calcophile and/or biophile elements (U, V, Mo and Zn) and are discussed before; only
three elements (Cr, Ni and Co) will be analyzed here. The geology of Albania has a
fundamental two-fold division, with a western domain of monotonous sediments and
an eastern domain of basic and acid volcanic rocks and ultramafic massifs (Shallari
et al. 1998). The soils derived by weathering of ultramafic rocks are characterized
by high contents of geogenic potentially toxic elements, in particular Cr, Ni, and
Co which usually exceed their maximum permitted limits of soils, and representing
serious environmental risks for ecosystems and human health (Kelepertzis et al. 2013;
Marescotti et al. 2019) directly by soil dermal contact or through the inhalation of
wind blowing soil dust fine particles that are present in the air. The mechanisms of
air pollution induced several health effects through the fine particulate and ultrafine
particles (PM ≤ 2.5 µm and PM ≤ 0.1 µm), ozone, nitrogen oxides, and transition
metals which are potent oxidants or able to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS)
(Lodovici and Bigagli 2008). The generation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and other
reactive oxygen species (ROS) through transition metal-mediated pathways is one
of the main hypotheses for PM toxicity (Vidrio et al. 2008). High content of redox
metals in plants could induce both oxidative and genotoxic stress response, leading
to cytotoxicity and damage to different cellular components, including proteins,
membranes, and nucleic acids, therefore, generating typical abiotic stress response
in plants (Panda and Choudhury 2005; Dutta et al. 2018). On the other hand, the
excessive Cr content in plants could induce the oxidative stress leading to the disruption of plant cellular functions and structure, and lipid peroxidation that is considered
as an indication of oxidative damage by which the integrity and functionality of the
membrane is lost (Panda and Choudhury 2005).
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
P. Lazo et al., The Evaluation of Air Quality in Albania by Moss Biomonitoring and Metals
Atmospheric Deposition, SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62355-5_5
69