Residential heating contribution to level of air pollutants (PAHs, major, trace, and rare earth elements): a moss bag case study

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 22; no. 23; pp. 18956 - 18966
• Main Authors: Vuković, Gordana, Urošević, Mira Aničić, Pergal, Miodrag, Janković, Milan, Goryainova, Zoya, Tomašević, Milica, Popović, Aleksandar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: air; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air pollution; Air Pollution - analysis; Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis; Air quality; anthropogenic activities; Anthropogenic factors; antimony; Aquatic Pollution; arsenic; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; bags; Bryophyta; cadmium; Case studies; climate; Coal; copper; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Emissions; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental testing; European Union; Fossil fuels; Hazardous Substances - analysis; heat; Heating - adverse effects; heating systems; Housing - statistics & numerical data; Humans; laws and regulations; Legislation; mercury; Metals, Rare Earth - analysis; monitoring; Mosses; mosses and liverworts; nickel; Outdoor air quality; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - analysis; particulates; Pollutants; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Production capacity; Rare earth elements; Research Article; seasonal variation; Seasonal variations; Seasons; Serbia; shale; Sphagnopsida; Sphagnum girgensohnii; Studies; summer; surveys; Trace elements; Trace Elements - analysis; Transition Elements - analysis; Urban areas; vanadium; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Winter; zinc; Serbia; Seasonal pollutant variations; Urban environment; Heating season; Active biomonitoring; Moss bag technique; S. girgensohnii
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5096-0

In areas with moderate to continental climates, emissions from residential heating system lead to the winter air pollution peaks. The EU legislation requires only the monitoring of airborne concentrations of particulate matter, As, Cd, Hg, Ni, and B[a]P. Transition metals and rare earth elements (REEs) have also arisen questions about their detrimental health effects. In that sense, this study examined the level of extensive set of air pollutants: 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 41 major elements, trace elements, and REEs using Sphagnum girgensohnii moss bag technique. During the winter of 2013/2014, the moss bags were exposed across Belgrade (Serbia) to study the influence of residential heating system to the overall air quality. The study was set as an extension to our previous survey during the summer, i.e., non-heating season. Markedly higher concentrations of all PAHs, Sb, Cu, V, Ni, and Zn were observed in the exposed moss in comparison to the initial values. The patterns of the moss REE concentrations normalized to North American Shale Composite and Post-Archean Australian Shales were identical across the study area but enhanced by anthropogenic activities. The results clearly demonstrate the seasonal variations in the moss enrichment of the air pollutants. Moreover, the results point out a need for monitoring of air quality during the whole year, and also of various pollutants, not only those regulated by the EU Directive.