Distribution of 36 Element Deposition Rates in a Historic Mining and Smelting Area as Determined through Fine-Scale Biomonitoring Techniques. Part I: Relative and Absolute Current Atmospheric Deposition Levels Detected by Moss Analyses

Abstract

The contents of 36 elements were determined in Pleurozium schreberimoss collected along 12 linear transects at 56 sampling points running radially up to a distance of 14 km from the secondary smelter ground at Přibram in the Czech Republic. Moss monitoring techniques enabled an assessment of the distribution of relative and, for many elements, the absolute atmospheric deposition rates that have been found for many elements in the details of land cadastres and allotments over an area of 700 km2. In addition to the hot spots for accumulation of smelter elements centred on the smelter ground, other unexpected hot spots caused by the operation of previously underplayed pollution sources are revealed in fine-scale contour maps. The decrease in element content in moss with distance from the centres of the main hot spots were described remarkably well by regression equations. The results of PCA indicated that the distribution of these elements in moss in the area is substantially controlled by 4 factors. The smelter was found to be the crucial current emitter of Ag, As, Cd, Cu, (Hg), In, Pb, Sb and Zn. Gravel production from stone material from abandoned uranium pits has been a major source of Al, As, Be, Ce, Cr, Fe, Ga, La, Li, Nd, Pr, Sc, Th, U, V and Y pollution, and a piston-ring works has been contaminating the area heavily with Mo. The fourth factor controlling the distribution of Cs, Rb and Tl in moss may be the combined operation of non-industrial anthropogenic and geogenic factors. The content of some elements in the moss correlated with selected geomorphological characteristics. The estimated enormous deposition loads of many potentially hazardous elements from the smelter and the stone mill from the former uranium pit in the town should be taken into account as a hazard to the inhabitants. The plan to continue utilising the 20 remaining heaps from the abandoned uranium pits for gravel production should be abandoned because it would lead to major further contamination of the area. Fine-scale moss monitoring techniques have proved to be a powerful tool for determining the deposition rates of many elements around diverse point sources of pollution in the landscape.