Moss Biomonitoring of Air Pollution with Arsenic in Bitola and the Environs, Republic of Macedonia

Abstract

Moss biomonitoring was applied to establishing anthropogenic influence of arsenic in city of Bitola and the environs, Republic of Macedonia. Moss samples were collected from 38 locations in the area of 1400 km² in summer and autumn 2010. Arsenic was analyzed by the application of inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The obtained results of this element were statistically processed and the map of areal distri­bution was prepared. Map of arsenic distribution showed the sites with higher levels of this element. Arsenic was the element that illustrates the operation of open pit brown coal mining and thermoelectric power plant (REK “Bitola”). The obtained median for As (0.38 mg kg^-1) from the investigated area was compared with those for the whole terri­tory of Macedonia and for the other Balkan countries and Europe.