The Effect of Heavy Industry on Air Pollution Studied by Active Moss Biomonitoring in Donetsk Region (Ukraine)

Abstract

The active moss biomonitoring technique was applied to assess the environmental pollution in the Donetsk region and to compare the biomonitoring capacity of acrocarpous (Ceratodon purpureus) and pleurocarpous (Brachythecium campestre) moss transplants. Moss bags were exposed for 6 months in the surroundings of two steelworks, a power station, and two parks. The concentrations of 19 elements were determined in the moss transplants by neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry. Various environmental indices—relative accumulation factor, contamination factor, pollution load index, enrichment factor, and ecological risk index—were used to quantitatively assess the degree of ambient contamination. The RAF values indicate that the most prevalent elements in Brachythecium campestre and Ceratodon purpureus were Na, Al, Ca, Fe, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, Ba, Sr, Pd, and Cd. The results showed a significant difference between metal accumulation by Ceratodon purpureus and Brachythecium campestre indicating various mechanisms of uptake. All elements were highly correlated in Ceratodon purpureus. The main air pollution sources in the region are the Zuivska power station (Zuivska TES), Donetsk Metallurgical Plant, and Yenakiieve Iron and Steel Works.