36
using different biomonitors. Studies on atmospheric pollution have consistently
been limited by high costs of classical analytical methods, as well as the difficulties
in performing extensive monitoring in time and space. Consequently, there has been
a growing interest in using the methods of indirect monitoring, such as biomonitoring. Many studies have shown a very good ability of bryophyte moss to uptake
atmospheric pollutants in the form of the trapped particulate matter within the surface layer or the dissolved liquids (Varela et al. 2015; Fernandez and Carballeira
2002; Tremper et al. 2004; Berg et al. 1995; Berg and Steinnes 1997). The use of
mosses as biomonitors of metals’ atmospheric deposition on a regional scale
appeared first in Scandinavian countries more than four decades ago. This is now
widely accepted as a very efficient method of estimating atmospheric heavy metal
deposition. Due to technical difficulties and high cost of atmospheric pollutant
monitoring, the European Air Quality Directives 2004/107/EC and 2008/50/EC
only demand for the determination of few atmospheric contaminants (e.g. Pb, Cd,
As, Ni, Hg and benzo[a]pyrene) (De Nicola et al. 2013).
The study of atmospheric deposits of most toxic metals Cd, Hg, Pb, As and Ni in
the territory of Albania is included. Arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel are
mainly emitted from various natural and anthropogenic processes. Windblown soil
dust, forest fires, volcano eruption and sea spray (Cd, Pb and Ni) are the most
important natural emission sources of these elements in the atmosphere. They are
released into the atmosphere from metal smelters, pesticides used in agriculture (As
and Cd), traffic, mining industry, shipping activity in coastal areas, etc. The main
natural sources of Hg emissions are the diffusion from the earth’s mantle through
the lithosphere, evaporation from the sea surface and geothermal activity (EEA
2013). Some EU countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North
Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, exceed the
critical loads for Hg across nearly 90% or more of their ecosystem area (EEA 2013).
The differences between the pollution levels of each country are linked with the
respective contribution coming from national and foreign sources. The metal content of the atmosphere is also linked with PM content in the air (Guerreiro et al.
2014). The PM2.5 emissions were reduced mostly as a consequence of installing
secondary abatement technologies such as electrostatic precipitators and wet scrubbers, but the countries like Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, North
Macedonia, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland do not show a significant
reduction between 1990 and 2013 (Colette et al. 2016; Guerreiro et al. 2014).
S. Allajbeu et al.
using different biomonitors. Studies on atmospheric pollution have consistently
been limited by high costs of classical analytical methods, as well as the difficulties
in performing extensive monitoring in time and space. Consequently, there has been
a growing interest in using the methods of indirect monitoring, such as biomonitoring. Many studies have shown a very good ability of bryophyte moss to uptake
atmospheric pollutants in the form of the trapped particulate matter within the surface layer or the dissolved liquids (Varela et al. 2015; Fernandez and Carballeira
2002; Tremper et al. 2004; Berg et al. 1995; Berg and Steinnes 1997). The use of
mosses as biomonitors of metals’ atmospheric deposition on a regional scale
appeared first in Scandinavian countries more than four decades ago. This is now
widely accepted as a very efficient method of estimating atmospheric heavy metal
deposition. Due to technical difficulties and high cost of atmospheric pollutant
monitoring, the European Air Quality Directives 2004/107/EC and 2008/50/EC
only demand for the determination of few atmospheric contaminants (e.g. Pb, Cd,
As, Ni, Hg and benzo[a]pyrene) (De Nicola et al. 2013).
The study of atmospheric deposits of most toxic metals Cd, Hg, Pb, As and Ni in
the territory of Albania is included. Arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel are
mainly emitted from various natural and anthropogenic processes. Windblown soil
dust, forest fires, volcano eruption and sea spray (Cd, Pb and Ni) are the most
important natural emission sources of these elements in the atmosphere. They are
released into the atmosphere from metal smelters, pesticides used in agriculture (As
and Cd), traffic, mining industry, shipping activity in coastal areas, etc. The main
natural sources of Hg emissions are the diffusion from the earth’s mantle through
the lithosphere, evaporation from the sea surface and geothermal activity (EEA
2013). Some EU countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North
Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, exceed the
critical loads for Hg across nearly 90% or more of their ecosystem area (EEA 2013).
The differences between the pollution levels of each country are linked with the
respective contribution coming from national and foreign sources. The metal content of the atmosphere is also linked with PM content in the air (Guerreiro et al.
2014). The PM2.5 emissions were reduced mostly as a consequence of installing
secondary abatement technologies such as electrostatic precipitators and wet scrubbers, but the countries like Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, North
Macedonia, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland do not show a significant
reduction between 1990 and 2013 (Colette et al. 2016; Guerreiro et al. 2014).
S. Allajbeu et al.