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Trace Element Contamination in Industrial Regions of Poland Studied by Moss Monitoring

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Abstract

The use of terrestrial mosses as biomonitors in large-scalemulti-element studies of heavy metal deposition from theatmosphere is a well established technique in Europe. Insuch studies it is advantageous to determine as many elements as possible in order to distinguish betweendifferent source categories. A combination of INAA and AAShas been found very useful in this respect, in particularwhen epithermal activation is used for instrumental neutronactivation analysis. A total of 33 elements (Al, Cl, Sc, V,Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Ag, Cd, Sb,I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Tb, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Pb, Th, and U) inPleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt. moss samples fromthe Silesia-Kraków Industrial Region and Legnica-GłogówCopper Basin and from the control (background) area inNortheast Poland were identified. The highest concentrationsof the majority of trace elements were found in mossesgrowing in the Silesia-Kraków Industrial Region, only Cu andAs concentrations were higher in mosses in the Legnica-Głogów Copper Basin. These results are in conformity withthe load of trace elements emissions in these areas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland

    K. Grodzińska, G. Szarek-Łukaszewska & M. Klich

  2. Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Dubna, Russia

    M. Frontasyeva, S. F. Gundorina & T. M. Ostrovnaya

  3. Skryta 9/7, 60–799, Poznań, Poland

    A. Kucharska-Fabiś

Authors
  1. K. Grodzińska
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  2. M. Frontasyeva
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  3. G. Szarek-Łukaszewska
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  4. M. Klich
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  5. A. Kucharska-Fabiś
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  6. S. F. Gundorina
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  7. T. M. Ostrovnaya
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Correspondence to K. Grodzińska.

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Grodzińska, K., Frontasyeva, M., Szarek-Łukaszewska, G. et al. Trace Element Contamination in Industrial Regions of Poland Studied by Moss Monitoring. Environ Monit Assess 87, 255–270 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024871310926

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