Air pollution study in Croatia using moss biomonitoring and ICP-AES and AAS analytical techniques.

Moss biomonitoring technique was applied in a heavy-metal pollution study of Croatia in 2006 when this country participated in the European moss survey for the first time. This survey was repeated in 2010, and the results are presented in this study. For this purpose, 121 moss samples were collected during summer and autumn 2010. The content of 21 elements was determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry. Principal component analyses was applied to show the association between the elements. Six factors (F1-F6) were determined, of which two are anthropogenic (F3 and F6), two are mixed geogenic-anthropogenic (F1 and F5), and two are geogenic factors (F2 and F4). Geographical distribution maps of the elements over the sampled territory were constructed using geographic information systems technology. Comparison of the median values of some of the anthropogenic elements-such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, lead, vanadium, and zinc-with those from the 2006 study shows that anthropogenic pollution has changed insignificantly during the last 5 years. The data obtained in the investigation in Norway are taken for comparison with pristine area, which indicates that Croatia is somewhat polluted but still, shows a more favourable picture when compared with two neighbouring countries.