35
heart disease, lung cancer, asthmatic attacks, premature mortality and reduced life
expectancy (Kibria 2016; EEA 2013). The atmosphere is one of the most important
routes of the distribution of pollutants in the environment. Metals are environmental
pollutants, and their toxicity is a problem of increasing the harmful in terms of ecological, food and environmental issues (Nagajyoti et al. 2010). They are naturally
present in the earth’s crust and naturally exist in the environment as various chemicals. Under different conditions and anthropogenic releasing, they may enter the
environment as contaminants. The metals may be emitted into the environment
through the various natural and man-made processes such as agricultural and industrial manufacturing, traffic and mining operations (Lee and von Lehmden 1973).
These processes depend on a number of factors such as (i) the physical and chemical
characteristics of the pollutants (e.g. particle size and their chemical form), (ii) the
source characteristics of the emission (e.g. height of the chimney, composition of
the pollutant mixture) and (iii) environmental factors (e.g. winds and precipitation)
(Treshow 1984).
After the emission and the atmospheric transport in different distances, the trace
elements leave the atmosphere by wet and dry deposition and accumulate on the
earth’s surface. Metals are very persistent in the environment. The transport of metals to different aquatic, air, soil and biota ecosystems makes them able to be assimilated by the humans through inhalation, drinking and feeding. Cu and Zn are
essential elements for humans and plants, and As, Cd, Cr, Pb and Hg are classified
as elements of high toxicity that pose a significant risk to public health even at a low
concentration level of exposure. The toxicity level depends on several factors, i.e.
the chemical species, the dose, the route of exposure and the age, gender, genetics
and nutritional status of exposed individuals (Tchounwou et al. 2012). In general,
many metals are essential for humans and plants when they occur in normal content,
but may turn harmfully in high content and may become toxic that may pose negative consequences to humans and plants. Trace metals were defined as hazardous
chemicals because they are toxic, non-degradable and bioaccumulative (Mann et al.
2011). Due to the solid form (excluding Hg) of metals and their compounds, they
are transported into the atmosphere only as aerosol particles mostly derived from
anthropogenic sources, including mineral particles, industrial processes, traffic
emission, burning of different fossil fuels and waste incineration (Freedman and
Hutchinson 1981; Bargagli 1998), and by natural sources such as volcanic eruptions, rock erosion, forest burning, wind-driven soil particles, marine salt crystals,
etc. (Csavina et al. 2012). Cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), arsenic (As),
copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) and zinc (Zn) are the most
toxic metals that may pose different risk to human health and the environment
(Järup 2003; Tchounwou et al. 2012). The contamination of the air by toxic metals
is among the main threats coming by atmospheric depositions, because it is a component of the air that we breathe (Qarri et al. 2019). The severity of adverse health
effects is related to the type of heavy metal and its chemical form and is also timeand dose-dependent (Järup 2003; Tchounwou et al. 2012).
Air quality monitoring can be performed by measuring pollutants directly in the
air or in depositions, building models that describe the distribution of pollutants or
2 Spatial Series and Multivariate Analysis in Assessing the Essential (Cu and Zn…
heart disease, lung cancer, asthmatic attacks, premature mortality and reduced life
expectancy (Kibria 2016; EEA 2013). The atmosphere is one of the most important
routes of the distribution of pollutants in the environment. Metals are environmental
pollutants, and their toxicity is a problem of increasing the harmful in terms of ecological, food and environmental issues (Nagajyoti et al. 2010). They are naturally
present in the earth’s crust and naturally exist in the environment as various chemicals. Under different conditions and anthropogenic releasing, they may enter the
environment as contaminants. The metals may be emitted into the environment
through the various natural and man-made processes such as agricultural and industrial manufacturing, traffic and mining operations (Lee and von Lehmden 1973).
These processes depend on a number of factors such as (i) the physical and chemical
characteristics of the pollutants (e.g. particle size and their chemical form), (ii) the
source characteristics of the emission (e.g. height of the chimney, composition of
the pollutant mixture) and (iii) environmental factors (e.g. winds and precipitation)
(Treshow 1984).
After the emission and the atmospheric transport in different distances, the trace
elements leave the atmosphere by wet and dry deposition and accumulate on the
earth’s surface. Metals are very persistent in the environment. The transport of metals to different aquatic, air, soil and biota ecosystems makes them able to be assimilated by the humans through inhalation, drinking and feeding. Cu and Zn are
essential elements for humans and plants, and As, Cd, Cr, Pb and Hg are classified
as elements of high toxicity that pose a significant risk to public health even at a low
concentration level of exposure. The toxicity level depends on several factors, i.e.
the chemical species, the dose, the route of exposure and the age, gender, genetics
and nutritional status of exposed individuals (Tchounwou et al. 2012). In general,
many metals are essential for humans and plants when they occur in normal content,
but may turn harmfully in high content and may become toxic that may pose negative consequences to humans and plants. Trace metals were defined as hazardous
chemicals because they are toxic, non-degradable and bioaccumulative (Mann et al.
2011). Due to the solid form (excluding Hg) of metals and their compounds, they
are transported into the atmosphere only as aerosol particles mostly derived from
anthropogenic sources, including mineral particles, industrial processes, traffic
emission, burning of different fossil fuels and waste incineration (Freedman and
Hutchinson 1981; Bargagli 1998), and by natural sources such as volcanic eruptions, rock erosion, forest burning, wind-driven soil particles, marine salt crystals,
etc. (Csavina et al. 2012). Cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), arsenic (As),
copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) and zinc (Zn) are the most
toxic metals that may pose different risk to human health and the environment
(Järup 2003; Tchounwou et al. 2012). The contamination of the air by toxic metals
is among the main threats coming by atmospheric depositions, because it is a component of the air that we breathe (Qarri et al. 2019). The severity of adverse health
effects is related to the type of heavy metal and its chemical form and is also timeand dose-dependent (Järup 2003; Tchounwou et al. 2012).
Air quality monitoring can be performed by measuring pollutants directly in the
air or in depositions, building models that describe the distribution of pollutants or
2 Spatial Series and Multivariate Analysis in Assessing the Essential (Cu and Zn…