THE STUDY OF ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION OF HEAVY METALS IN TIRANA AND VLORA CITIES, ALBANIA, BY ACTIVE MOSS BIOMONITORING TECHNIQUE

Active biomonitoring of air quality was performed using the moss Hypnum cupressiforme in Tirana and Vlora urban areas, Albania. Moss bags were exposed with irrigation for 6 months at 7 sites of Tirana city and 9 sites of Vlora city along the main streets. Heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe and Cd) were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry by using flame/and or electro thermal system. CVAAS was used for mercury determination, and atomic emission spectrometry for K and Na determination. The target elements in this study are Cd, Hg, Cu, Pb, Zn and Mn. For better interpretation of data, the elements Fe, K and Na were also included. The cities are being moderately polluted due to the high vehicular emissions, and use of adulterated fuel in vehicles. Therefore, we have been tried to categorize different places in the city, on the basis of the mentioned metal concentrations in the mosses and data statistical treatment. Mercury shows most sounding results (13.39 mu g/g, DW), near Vlora hot spot site, polluted by metallic mercury. The comparison with unexposed moss allowed us assessing the enrichments factors in exposed moss samples for all determined elements. To distinguish different geochemical mobility of elements and geochemically bound elements, correlation analysis was carried out. Two groups of elements were found: the first one (Zn, Fe, Cu, K and Na) does not display high accumulation factors (AF sub(mean)3).