Atmospheric Deposition Of Trace Elements Research Articles

Winter Atmospheric Deposition of Trace Elements in the Arkhangelsk Region (NW Russia): Insights into Environmental Effects

Winter Atmospheric Deposition of Trace Elements in the Arkhangelsk Region (NW Russia): Insights into Environmental Effects

Moss as a Biomonitor to Identify Atmospheric Deposition of Minor and Trace Elements in Macedonia

The present work was carried out to obtain and highlight the fifth comprehensive baseline dataset on atmospheric deposition of trace elements and to assess air quality in Macedonia. In the period from August to September 2020, a total of 72 moss samples were collected in accessible areas in the country. The content of 28 elements (Ag, Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sc, Sr, Ti, U, and Zn) was determined using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. Based on the data obtained on the content of the elements, a factor analysis was carried out to identify and characterise different sources of pollution. In addition, distribution maps were created for all elements to show the regions most affected by anthropogenic activities. The survey conducted in 2020 has shown that air pollution with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has slightly decreased compared to the results of the previous survey from 2015. This is due to the fact that, despite the operation of all mining and smelting facilities with the same capacity, government regulations for the installation of cleaning systems and additional regulations to reduce pollution have been introduced in the last five years. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the highest anthropogenic air pollution with PTEs is still caused by the operation of the ferronickel smelter in Kavadarci (Ni and Cr) in the southern part and by the lead and zinc mines in Probištip, Makedonska Kamenica, and Kriva Palanka in the eastern part of the country (Cd, Pb, and Zn).

Regional air quality study by assessing trace metal atmospheric deposition

This study addresses the atmospheric deposition of trace elements investigated in Albania, Croatia and Macedonia in 2010 as part of the European Moss Study. This study provides data on the concentration of ten metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn, Fe, Al, and Li) in naturally growing mosses. In general, all concentration data follow a lognormal distribution. Cd, Cr, Ni, and Zn show strong fluctuations in the moss samples from Albania and Macedonia, and Pb, Fe, and Al in the mosses from Croatia. The concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Zn were higher in the samples from Croatia than in those from Albania and Macedonia; the concentrations of Cr, Ni, V, Fe, Al, and Li were higher in the samples from Albania than in those from Croatia and Macedonia; and a higher concentration of Pb was found in the samples from Macedonia. The observed relationship between the concentration of lithogenic elements (Al, Fe, and V) and the air quality index (AQI) confirms that moss species have a high capacity to retain atmospheric deposition particles. The anthropogenic emission sources of these elements from local and long-range transport were considered to be the most important factors affecting air quality in the studied areas.

Significant urban hotspots of atmospheric trace element deposition and potential effects on urban soil pollution in China

Rapid urbanization has profoundly altered the spatial patterns of multiple element cycles. Whether and how urbanization shapes the spatial patterns of atmospheric trace element deposition remains, however, poorly understood. Using a newly compiled database on bulk deposition of eight trace elements (i.e., Cu, Ni, Zn, As, Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb) in China, we assessed the urban imprints on the spatial patterns of trace element deposition. Bulk deposition of the eight trace elements all showed a significant increase with closer distance to the nearest large cities, while the urban effect was also mediated by point emission sources and precipitation. We further compiled a database of urban topsoil (0–10 cm) concentrations of the eight trace elements and found that urban soil quality standards were exceeded in 80% of the studied cities for Cr, 49% for As, and less than 25% for other trace elements, respectively. The urban topsoil concentrations of six trace elements (except As and Hg) showed no significant correlations with their background values for natural soils, while we found a significant correlation between bulk deposition and urban topsoil concentrations of trace elements corrected by background values. We also demonstrated that current levels of trace element deposition would substantially increase urban soil pollution over the coming decades. Our findings confirm the occurrence of urban hotspots of trace element deposition and their impact on soil pollution and highlight a need of emission control of trace elements for safety urban soil quality.

Atmospheric Deposition around the Industrial Areas of Milazzo and Priolo Gargallo (Sicily–Italy)—Part B: Trace Elements

The concentrations of trace elements in atmospheric bulk depositions (wet plus dry) were investigated from two highly industrialised areas of Sicily (southern Italy) from June 2018 to July 2019, in order to recognise the main natural and anthropogenic sources. A side objective of this study was to improve the common sampling procedures and analytical methods used for monitoring trace elements in atmospheric deposition. The trace element VWM (Volume-Weighted Mean) concentrations ranged from less than 0.01 μg L−1 for trace elements such as Cs, Tl, and U, up to 24 μg L−1 for minor elements (Al, Zn, Sr), in the filtered aliquot, while they reached concentrations up to 144 μg L−1 for the same elements, in the unfiltered aliquot. Therefore, significant differences in concentrations between these two aliquots were found, particularly for Al, Fe, Ti, Zn, Cr, Pb, Se, Cs, and U. This implies that filtering operations may produce a consistent underestimation of concentrations of certain ‘constituents’ of the atmospheric deposition. Natural (marine spray, local and regional geogenic input, volcanic emanations) and anthropogenic sources (industrial emissions, auto vehicular traffic, and diffuse background pollution) which influence rainwater chemistry were identified. Enrichment factors (EFs), with respect to the upper crust composition, provided clear evidence of the different sources above mentioned: Ti, Fe, Al, Cs, Cr, Rb, and Co have low EFs (<1), and are referable to the (local and/or regional) geogenic input, while Se, Sb, Zn, B, Cd, Cu, Mo, Sr, As, with high EFs (>10), highlight the influence of marine and/or industrial sources. The study produced a novel dataset on the atmospheric deposition rate of several trace elements, which had never been studied in the investigated areas. Finally, a comparison of trace element deposition rates in the studied areas with the atmospheric deposition reported for 53 different sites, belonging to 20 different European nations, was made. The comparison showed that some elements, such as Al, V, Zn, and Mo had higher median deposition fluxes in the Sicilian sites than in European monitoring sites.

Altitudinal variation of trace elements deposition in forest ecosystems along the NW side of Mt. Amiata (central Italy): Evidence from topsoil, mosses and epiphytic lichens

Mt. Amiata (1738 m) is a volcanic peak in central Italy, completely covered with native oak, chestnut and beech forests. In this Natura 2000 site of Community Importance overlying a large shallow aquifer, climate change and the long-range transport of nutrients and contaminants might have negative impacts on relict plants populations and spring water chemistry. To evaluate the atmospheric deposition of trace elements in Mt. Amiata forest ecosystems, we analyzed the elemental composition of topsoils, epiphytic lichens (Parmelia species) and epigeic moss (Hypnum cupressiforme) between 120 and 1730 m a.s.l. along the NW side of the mountain, which is scarcely affected by natural and anthropogenic sources of metals. The elemental composition of the topsoil is mainly influenced by the different lithologies of the study area (calcareous up to an elevation of 700 m, volcanic up to the summit) and only Pb concentrations increased significantly with the altitude. The total element concentrations in cryptogams, particularly net of the possible contribution from soil particles, showed an enhanced accumulation of Pb, Cd, Hg and Zn in samples collected at altitudes above 1300 m, where beech forest are frequently shrouded in clouds and fog and receive more snow and rain than the lower chestnut and oak woods. Interestingly, the older and metabolically inactive tissues at the base of moss shoots, which are usually overlooked in biomonitoring surveys, appeared to behave as long-term accumulators of Pb. The possible mechanisms involved in the increased bioaccumulation of Mn in cryptogams inhabiting chestnut woods are discussed.

Characterization of Trace Elements in Atmospheric Deposition Studied by Moss Biomonitoring in Georgia.

The present work was conducted to obtain and highlight the first comprehensive baseline data on atmospheric deposition of trace elements and to evaluate the air quality in Georgia. A total of 120 moss samples were collected over accessible territories in Georgia in the period from 2014 to 2017. Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) Schimp., Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw.), and Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt. moss species were analyzed by two complementary analytical techniques: instrumental neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry. Concentrations of 41 elements in mg/kg were determined. The concentrations were compared with the corresponding values in the literature and are in a good agreement, except for the concentration of Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, and Fe, which were higher than those reported for other countries. The principal component and discriminant analyses were implemented to extract information about the similar geochemical features and to decipher the provenance of the studied elements. The analysis showed that a considerable association of crustal elements and the provenance of elements can be considered as a mixture of geogenic and anthropogenic sources. In addition, the influence of different latitudinal climate zones on the distribution of elements in the atmospheric deposition was observed. The enrichment factor shows considerable values for Th and Zr. The spatial distribution of the pollution load index identifies four zones (#12, 38, 53, and 64). The potential ecological risk index and the risk index were calculated and it does not pose significant risk except As and Cd. The data obtained can be used as the first dataset of metal characterization of air pollution in Georgia.

Sampling, handling, and preparation of peat cores from bogs: review of recent progress and perspectives for trace element research

Peat bogs are valuable archives of environmental change, including climate history, landscape evolution, and atmospheric deposition of trace elements, fallout radionuclides, and organic contaminants. Maintaining the fidelity of peat samples during collection and handling can be challenging, given that bogs consist mainly of fossil plant materials that typically have a very low density and are easily compressed. The surface layers of bogs, which are dominated by living plants and poorly decomposed fibrous peats, are especially problematic. To extract peat monoliths, we use a Belarus corer for deep layers and a Wardenaar device for surface layers. Both corers are constructed using titanium alloys to improve strength, reduce weight, and minimize the risk of contamination by the trace metals of environmental relevance. In this review, we include detailed drawings of the Belarus corer and photographs of the modifications to the Wardenaar corer. Modifications to the motorized Noernberg corer for frozen peat are described, and a complete set of drawings provided. A summary is given of simple procedures to minimize the risk of metal contamination in the laboratory from slicing and subsampling the peat cores and milling the dried samples.

Atmospheric trace metal deposition to remote Northwest Ontario, Canada: Anthropogenic fluxes and inventories from 1860 to 2010

National and global inventories of anthropogenic trace element emissions to air is a comparatively recent phenomenon (post-1993 in Canada) as is the monitoring of atmospheric metal deposition, the latter being also very spatially limited. Paleo-reconstructive methods offer a contiguous record of environmental contamination providing a needed framework to establish locally relevant “pre-industrial” (~natural) conditions which can be compare with relative and quantitative deviations away from reference conditions. In this study, we reconstruct the history of the long-range, anthropogenic sourced atmospheric trace element deposition to the remote region of Northwestern Ontario Canada (Experimental Lakes Area (ELA)) using dated sediment records from five lakes. Several elements are shown to be highly enriched in lake sediments relative to pre-1860 sediments (Antimony, Lead, Tellurium, Tin, Arsenic, Bismuth, Cadmium and Mercury) and moderately (Zinc, Tungsten, Thallium, Copper, Silver, Selenium, Nickel and Vanadium). Mean decadal anthropogenic atmospheric fluxes (mg m-2 yr-1) are reconstructed for 1860–2010 and compare well with available local (ELA), regional (NW Ontario Canada, N Michigan USA) monitoring data, as well as global assessments of anthropogenic contribution to atmospheric trace metal burdens. Quantitative paleo reconstructions of atmospheric contamination history using the collective signal from multiple lakes provide a rigorous methodology to assess trends, uncertainties, evaluation with monitoring data and, provide an opportunity to explore landscape processes of contaminant transport and storage. Further study of the latter is recommended to understand the latency of legacy anthropogenic contamination of the environment.

Assessment of the Environmental Pollution of Trace Elements in Atmospheric Deposition of Karaj City Using Enrichment Factor and Ecological Risk Index in 2018

Assessment of the Environmental Pollution of Trace Elements in Atmospheric Deposition of Karaj City Using Enrichment Factor and Ecological Risk Index in 2018

Moss as a biomonitor for the atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic microfibres.

Microplastics, which are plastic particles<5mm, have been found throughout the environment. However, few studies have focused on their transport via atmospheric deposition. Bryophytes have been used as biomonitors for the atmospheric deposition of trace elements, persistent organic pollutants and particulate matter, and may potentially be used to monitor the atmospheric deposition of microplastics or anthropogenic microfibres (mf). Hylocomium splendens was collected from three lake catchments, which are remote from anthropogenic disturbance and emissions sources. Anthropogenic mf were observed in all moss samples; the average number was 24mfg-1 dry weight (range: 15-30mfg-1) across the three study sites. The average length of mf was 1.02mm (range: 0.83-1.20mm). Plastic mf were identified using five rigorous visual criteria; 27% of the observed mf passed four criteria and 13% passed all five, suggesting at most a quarter of the mf may be plastic. Annual average atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic mf across the three lake catchments was estimated at ~47,700mfm-2 (~12,000plasticmfm-2), based on a moss biomass of 2kgdryweightm-2. These preliminary findings suggest that moss may be a useful biomonitor for the atmospheric deposition of mf (and microplastics).

Using deciduous trees as bioindicators of trace element deposition in a small urban watershed, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Annual and multiyear records of trace element deposition are difficult to develop using monitoring systems but have proven feasible using plant material in several settings. Here, we used material from several tree species (Populus deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall, Platanus occidentalis L., and Ginkgo biloba L.) to detect atmospheric deposition of trace elements (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in six localities along a transect from near-urban to far-urban in southeastern Indianapolis, IN, and one control site. We captured soil (legacy footprint), bark (multiannual record), and leaves (seasonal record) across a broad swath of the urban landscape and using a multi-metal approach. Tree bark, leaf, and proximal soil samples were collected and analyzed for their trace element content. The highest trace metal concentrations occurred at the near-urban sites, with particularly high Cu and Pb values. The highest Zn values were found at one of the far-urban sites, which is located near a large brownfield that was a former coal and coke storage and processing facility. No correlation was found between soil trace element composition and that of bark and leaves, perhaps indicating a disconnect between legacy inputs recorded in soils and current inputs recorded in the biological materials. Overall, the tree species analyzed served well as trace element bioindicators, although less so for G. biloba, and thus this approach is promising for further understanding the role that airborne pollution and deposition play in urban watersheds.

A Ten-Year Biomonitoring Study of Atmospheric Deposition of Trace Elements at the Territory of the Republic of Belarus

Abstract For the third time since 2005 atmospheric deposition of trace elements in Belarus was monitored by the moss technique widely used in Europe for air pollution studies. Samples of moss species of Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi were collected at 86 sites over the Gomel, Vitebsk and Minsk Regions in the summer of 2015. A total of 30 elements were determined by epithermal neutron activation analysis. Studying of the temporal trends in Belarus was undertaken with the results obtained in previous moss surveys in 2005/2006 and 2010/2011. Comparison with the analogous data from the neighbouring countries showed relatively low contamination levels in Belarus for the most heavy and toxic elements. The results of survey 2010/2011 showed that, except Cr, other element concentrations reduce or are at the same levels.

Atmospheric deposition of trace elements in Greece using moss Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. as biomonitors

Mosses have been used for monitoring trace elements airborne pollution due to their ability to accumulate elements directly from wet and dry deposition. During the 2015/2016 European moss survey, ninety-five samples of Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. were collected in Northern Greece. Mosses were analyzed to the content of Neutron Activation Analysis and the concentrations of thirty-three elements were determined. The contamination factors for the following elements Al, As, V, Ni, Fe, Cr, Zn were calculated. Information about air quality was provided through the study of atmospheric deposition of trace elements in mosses in the vicinity of Northern Greece.

Moss and Lichen Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Pollution in the Western Cape Province (South Africa)

For the first time, the atmospheric deposition of trace elements was investigated in two regions (Cape Winelands and Cape Peninsula) of the Western Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) using naturally growing mosses and lichens. A total of 33 elements were determined by epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify and characterize different pollution sources.

Study of Airborne Trace Element Pollution in Central and Southern Vietnam Using Moss (Barbula indica) Technique and Neutron Activation Analysis

Atmospheric deposition of trace elements in three cities of Vietnam including Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh in Central and South of Vietnam has been studied in this work by moss technique. Thirty samples of the local moss Barbula indica were collected in these cities and the concentrations of thirty heavy elements were determined by neutron activation analysis at the reactor IBR-2 of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research located in Dubna, Russia. Concentrations of thirty elements were determined in each sample. Factor analysis has been applied to the concentration data and five main factors, which characterized five possible sources of the air pollution affecting the investigated areas have been identified. The correspondence between the research results and the reality of the air pollution in the studied sites has proved high possibility of the method for studying air pollution in Vietnam.

Lead concentrations and stable lead isotope ratios in moss in Slovenia and Switzerland

Using moss as a biomonitor is an established technique for monitoring atmospheric deposition of trace elements, including lead (Pb), a metal that is toxic for most organisms. Lead enters the environment during production and combustion processes and during the use of leaded gasoline. There are four stable isotopes of Pb, and the isotopic composition can be used to determine sources and pathways of atmospheric Pb pollution.In this study we determined Pb concentrations and isotope ratios in moss (Hypnum cupressiforme and Pleurozium schreberi) collected from 1990 to 2015 in Switzerland and from 2006 to 2015 in Slovenia. We used microwave sample digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for Pb concentrations and multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) for Pb isotope ratio determination. The aim was to assess the change in atmospheric Pb deposition over time and the differences between and within the two countries. Additionally, we assessed the current Pb isotope ratios for both countries and evaluated the change over time in Switzerland.The Pb concentration in moss decreased significantly over time in both countries. In 2015, at the end of the study period, concentrations were significantly higher in Slovenia compared to in Switzerland. Higher Pb concentrations in Slovenia may be related to the prolonged use of leaded gasoline or to the larger influence of industrial sources. Within Switzerland Pb concentrations differed significantly between regions. These differences are likely a consequence of different population densities and precipitation amounts. In Slovenia there were no significant differences between the regions, indicating that there are no large differences in Pb emissions.The 206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/206Pb isotope ratios differed between Slovenia and Switzerland and between some regions within Switzerland. This finding shows that Slovenia and Switzerland, as well as the different regions within Switzerland, are influenced by different Pb sources. In Switzerland, 206Pb/207Pb increased and 208Pb/206Pb decreased over time and shifted away from the isotopic signature of leaded gasoline. Additionally, both isotope ratios became more homogeneous within Switzerland, which suggests that the sources of Pb became more similar. Overall, the Pb isotope ratios reflect the diminishing influence of leaded gasoline and indicate an increasing importance of industry, coal burning and natural bedrock as Pb sources.

Atmospheric deposition of trace elements to Daya Bay, South China Sea: Fluxes and sources

This study was conducted from October 2015 to March 2017, with the aim of providing the first data on the fluxes and sources of wet and dry deposition of trace elements (TEs) in Daya Bay, South China Sea. Wet deposition flux of TEs was always preponderant and orders of magnitude higher than that of dry deposition owing to the high rainfall frequency in Daya Bay. The total deposition fluxes of TEs in the target area were higher than in most places worldwide, but at a moderate level within China. Wet deposition was highest in summer and lowest in winter, whereas dry deposition showed an opposite seasonal trend. The main sources of TEs in wet deposition were seasalt/dust, fossil fuel combustion, and crustal sources, and in dry deposition, they were dust/metallurgic, fossil fuel, petrochemical industry and crustal sources.

Atmospheric deposition of trace elements at urban and forest sites in central Poland – Insight into seasonal variability and sources

This paper includes the results of chemical composition of bulk deposition samples collected simultaneously at urban (Poznań city) and forest (Jeziory) sites in central Poland, between April 2013 and October 2014. Rainwater samples were analyzed for trace elements (As, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cu, Cr, Cd) and physicochemical parameters. Overall, three metals, i.e. Zn, Pb and Cu were the most abundant anthropogenic constituents of rainwater samples from both locations. In Poznań city, the rainwater concentrations of trace elements did not differ significantly between spring and summer. However, they were elevated and more variable during the cold season (fall and winter), suggesting strong contribution from local high-temperature processes related to coal combustion (commercial and residential sector). In contrast to the urban site, relatively low variability in concentrations was found for Cu, Ni, Zn at the forest site, where direct impact of emission from vehicle traffic and coal-fired combustion (power plants) was much lower. The bulk deposition fluxes of Ni, As, Pb and Zn at this site exhibited a clear trend, with higher values during the cold season (fall and winter) than in spring and summer. At the urban site, the sums of total bulk deposition fluxes of Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, As, Cr, Cd were as follows: 8460.4, 4209.2, 2247.4, 1882.1, 606.6, 281.6 and 31.4μgm−2. In addition, during the winter season, a significantly higher deposition fluxes of Cu and Zn were observed for rain (on average 103.8 and 129.4μgm−2, respectively) as compared to snow (19.7μgCum−2 and 54.1μgZnm−2). This suggests that different deposition pattern of trace elements for rain, mixed and snow was probably the effect of several factors: precipitation type, changes in emission and favorable meteorological situation during rain events.

Characteristics and impacts of trace elements in atmospheric deposition at a high-elevation site, southern China.

To investigate the regional background trace element (TE) level in atmospheric deposition (dry and wet), TEs (Fe, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Ba, and Pb) in 52 rainwater samples and 73 total suspended particles (TSP) samples collected in Mt. Lushan, Southern China, were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that TEs in wet and dry deposition of the target area were significantly elevated compared within and outside China and the volume weight mean pH of rainwater was 4.43. The relative contributions of wet and dry depositions of TEs vary significantly among elements. The wet deposition fluxes of V, As, Cr, Se, Zn, and Cd exceeded considerably their dry deposition fluxes while dry deposition dominated the removal of pollution elements such as Mo, Cu, Ni, Mn, and Al. The summed dry deposition flux was four times higher than the summed wet deposition flux. Prediction results based on a simple accumulation model found that the content of seven toxic elements (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) in soils could increase rapidly due to the impact of annual atmospheric deposition, and the increasing amounts of them reached 0.063, 0.012, 0.026, 0.459, 0.076, 0.004, and 0.145mgkg-1, respectively. In addition, the annual increasing rates ranged from 0.05% (Cr and Ni) to 2.08% (Cd). It was also predicted that atmospheric deposition induced the accumulation of Cr and Cd in surface soils. Cd was the critical element with the greatest potential ecological risk among all the elements in atmospheric deposition.