Atmospheric Deposition of Radionuclides and Major and Trace Elements by Moss Biomonitoring Technique

Abstract

Mosses are comparatively more effective at accumulating elements and heavy metals than other plant species. Therefore, moss biomonitoring was used as a complementary technique alongside classic instrumental methods in air pollution detection and control. Also, mosses have been used as bioindicators for terrestrial long-lived radionuclides ( 40 K, 238 U, and 232 Th) and artificial radionuclides ( 137 Cs, 90 Sr, and 239+240 Pu) in the environment [1][2][3][4][5].Rapid industrialization in cities and the contributory relationships with the original pollution sources can cause serious environmental problems within cities [6][7][8][9]. Istanbul is the most crowded city in Turkey and the fifth most crowded in the world. The present study was conducted as a survey of air pollution on both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. Moss samples were collected from urban, suburban, industrial, and green zone areas on both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. Radionuclide activity concentrations and major and trace element amounts in moss samples were determined. Additionally, ecological impacts of atmospheric deposition for selected metals (As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) based on moss analysis around Istanbul was assessed. The enrichment factors of each pollutant and the potential ecological risk index were evaluated. Also, cluster analysis using the Minitab 7.0 program was employed for the obtained data.Pol. J. Environ. Stud. Vol. 27, No. 2 (2018) AbstractThe present study was undertaken as a survey of radiological and chemical air pollution on both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, Turkey. In this framework, radionuclide activity concentrations and selected metal amounts in moss samples collected from urban, suburban, industrial, and green zone areas in Istanbul were determined following the moss biomonitoring technique. The activity concentrations in the moss samples vary from 2 to 20 Bq/kg for 226 Ra, from 4 to 23 Bq/kg for 232 Th, and 359 to 2,809 Bq/kg for 40 K for both sides of the city. Concentrations of Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn were determined by ICP-ES. Additionally, potential ecological impacts of atmospheric deposition for selected metals based on moss analysis around Istanbul were assessed. Results show that the enrichment factor for the European side was greater than 10 for Pb.