Moss biomonitoring of air pollution with potentially toxic elements in the Kumanovo Region, North Macedonia

A study was carried out to investigate air deposition and to explore the natural distribution and contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the Kumanovo Region, North Macedonia, by using moss samples as biomonitors for air pollution. The distribution of 51 elements was detected in 42 moss samples collected from this area. Moss samples were analyzed following microwave digestion by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). It was found that the atmospheric deposition for some PTEs in the moss samples in specific parts of the study area is influenced by anthropogenic and urban activities. R-mode factor analysis was used to identify and characterize element associations, and six associations of elements were determined. Four factors were separated from the group of macroelements determined by ICP-AES: Factor 1 (Al, Cr, Fe, Li, Ni, V, and Zn), F2 (K, Mg, and P), F3 (Ba and Sr), and F4 (Cd, Pb, and Zn); and two associations were separated from the group of trace elements determined by ICP-MS: Factor 1 (As, Co, Cs, Ga, Ge, Sc, Ti, Y, Zr, and rare earth elements-REEs) and Factor 2 (Bi, Br, Hg, I, Sb, Sn, and W).