Abstract

A study was carried out to investigate air deposition and to explore the natural distribution and contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the Kumanovo Region, North Macedonia, by using moss samples as biomonitors for air pollution. The distribution of 51 elements was detected in 42 moss samples collected from this area. Moss samples were analyzed following microwave digestion by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). It was found that the atmospheric deposition for some PTEs in the moss samples in specific parts of the study area is influenced by anthropogenic and urban activities. R-mode factor analysis was used to identify and characterize element associations, and six associations of elements were determined. Four factors were separated from the group of macroelements determined by ICP-AES: Factor 1 (Al, Cr, Fe, Li, Ni, V, and Zn), F2 (K, Mg, and P), F3 (Ba and Sr), and F4 (Cd, Pb, and Zn); and two associations were separated from the group of trace elements determined by ICP-MS: Factor 1 (As, Co, Cs, Ga, Ge, Sc, Ti, Y, Zr, and rare earth elements—REEs) and Factor 2 (Bi, Br, Hg, I, Sb, Sn, and W).

摘要

通过使用苔藓样本作为空气污染的生物监测器，进行了一项研究，以调查北马其顿库马诺沃地区的空气沉积并探索潜在有毒元素 (PTE) 的自然分布和污染。在该地区采集的 42 份苔藓样品中检测到 51 种元素的分布。在微波消解后，通过电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法 (ICP-AES) 和电感耦合等离子体质谱法 (ICP-MS) 分析苔藓样品。研究发现，研究区特定区域苔藓样品中部分PTEs的大气沉降受到人为活动和城市活动的影响。采用R-mode因子分析对元素关联进行识别和表征，确定了六种元素关联。从 ICP-AES 测定的大量元素组中分离出四个因子：因子 1（Al、Cr、Fe、Li、Ni、V 和 Zn）、F2（K、Mg 和 P）、F3（Ba 和 Sr） , 和 F4 (Cd, Pb, 和 Zn); 并且从 ICP-MS 测定的微量元素组中分离出两个关联：因子 1（As、Co、Cs、Ga、Ge、Sc、Ti、Y、Zr 和稀土元素 - REEs）和因子 2（Bi 、Br、Hg、I、Sb、Sn 和 W)。