Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Active moss biomonitoring of airborne potentially toxic elements in recreational areas of Moscow

  • Research
  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Active biomonitoring using the moss bag technique was applied to examine the atmospheric deposition of potentially toxic and other elements in recreational areas of Moscow. Moss bags with Sphagnum girgensohnii were placed in the territory of seven parks (Losiny Ostrov, Victory Park, Ostankino, Sokolniki, Izmailovo, Kuzminki-Lyublino, Tsaritsyno) at three locations in each park from June to September 2018. The content of 32 chemical elements: Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Sm, Tb, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Th, U, Cu, Pb, and Cd in moss samples was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry. After a 3-month exposure period, high uptake of Sb, U, Th, Sm, La, Mo, Zn, Co, Fe, V, Sc, etc. was observed in some of the moss samples. The physiologically active elements Cl and K and alkaline elements Rb and Cs were depleted from the moss tissue during the exposure. The high accumulation of Zn, Pb, Cu, Co, V, and Sb in moss samples evidenced an anthropogenic impact on the parks, mainly associated with road traffic. To determine the level of pollution, a set of environmental indices was calculated: contamination factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF), total pollution index (TPI), and relative accumulation factor (RAF). The highest RAF values were obtained for Sb on the territory of all parks. According to EF, the samples were enriched in Al, Fe, U, Pb, Cd, Au, Sb, Th, and Ta. High CF values were obtained for sites in Losiny Ostrov, Izmailovo, Tsaritsyno, and Kuzminki-Lyublino located close to roads. According to TPI, the level of air pollution on the territory of the abovementioned parks varied from moderate to high. To identify the major sources of pollution, correlation analysis and principal component analysis were applied.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

All data is presented in the article.

References

  • Aničić, M., Frontasyeva, M. V., Tomašević, M., & Popović, A. (2007). Assessment of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and other elements in Belgrade using the moss biomonitoring technique and neutron activation analysis. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 129, 207–219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-9354-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aničić, M., Tasić, M., Frontasyeva, M. V., et al. (2009). Active biomonitoring with wet and dry moss: A case study in an urban area. Environ Chem Lett, 7, 55–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-008-0135-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anicic, M., Tomasevic, M., Tasic, M., et al. (2009). Monitoring of trace element atmospheric deposition using dry and wet moss bags: Accumulation capacity versus exposure time. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 171, 182–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.05.112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • AnicicUrosevic, M., Vukovic, G., Jovanovic, P., et al. (2017). Urban background of air pollution: Evaluation through moss bag biomonitoring of trace elements in Botanical garden. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 25, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.04.016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atsushi, O., Mitsuo, U., Kazuhiko, M., & Sigeru, N. (2002). Sources of sodium in atmospheric fine particles. Atmospheric Environment, 36(27), 4367–4374. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(02)00341-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bulletin of environmental pollution of the Moscow region. (2018). FSBI “Central UGMS” Annual collection of information and reference materials. Moscow 2019. 43s. http://www.ecomos.ru/kadr21/sostojanieZagrOSgod.pdf. Accessed 13 Dec 2023

  • Calabrese, S., D’Alessandro, W., Bellomo, S., et al. (2015). Characterization of the Etna volcanic emissions through an active biomonitoring technique (moss-bags): Part 1 – Major and trace element composition. Chemosphere, 119, 1447–1455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.08.086

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chernogaeva, G. M., Zhadanovskaya, E. A., & Malevanov, Yu. A. (2019). Sources of pollution and air quality in the Moscow region. Proceedings of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Series Geographic, 2, 109–116. https://doi.org/10.31857/S2587-556620192109-116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chung, Y. K., Jing, Y. W., Wan, T. L., Pin, Y. L., Ching, T. T., & Man, T. C. (2012). Evaluation of the vehicle contributions of metals to indoor environments. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 22, 489–495. https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2012.55

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Culicov, O. A., & Yurukova, L. (2006). Comparison of element accumulation of different moss and lichen-bags, exposed in the city of Sofia (Bulgaria). Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, 55, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-005-9002-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Culicov, O. A., Mocanu, R., Frontasyeva, M. V., et al. (2005). Active moss biomonitoring applied to an industrial site in Romania: Relative accumulation of 36 elements in moss-bags. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 108, 229–240.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ermakova, E. V., Frontasyeva, M. V., & Steinnes, E. (2004). Study of atmospheric precipitation of heavy metals and other elements on. territory of the Tula region using the method of moss biomonitors. Ecological Chemistry, 13(3), 167–180.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Federal State Budgetary Institution “Central Department for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring”. (n.d.). Yearbook of the state of atmospheric air pollution in the territory of operation of the Central UGMS for 2018. http://www.ecomos.ru/kadr22/postyMoskwy.asp. Accessed 13 Dec 2023

  • Fernández, J. A., & Carballeira, A. (2001). Evaluation of contamination, by different elements, in terrestrial mosses. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 40, 461–466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002440010198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Földi, C., Sauermann, S., Dohrmann, R., & Mansfeldt, T. (2018). Traffic-related distribution of antimony in roadside soils. Environmental Pollution, 231, 704–712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.10.112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gorbarenko, E. V., & Eremina, I. D. (2011). Variability of aerosols and chemical composition of the air in Moscow. Moscow University Bulletin, 5(4), 31–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, R., Yan, Y., Zhou, X., et al. (2018). Monitoring heavy metal contents with Sphagnum junghuhnianum moss bags in relation to traffic volume in Wuxi, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(2), 374. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15020374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kasimov, N. S., Kosheleva, N. E., Popovicheva, O. B., Vlasov, D. V., Shinkareva, G. L., Erina, O. N., Chalov, S. R., Chichaeva, M. A., Kovach, R. G., Zavgorodnyaya, Yu. A., & Lychagin, M. Yu. (2023). Moscow megacity pollution: monitoring of chemical composition of microparticles in the atmosphere–snow–road dust–soil–surface water system. Russian Meteorology and Hydrology,  48(5), 391–401. https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068373923050011

  • Klos, A., Rajfur, M., & Waclawek, M. (2011). Application of enrichment factor (EF) to the interpretation of results from the biomonitoring studies. Ecological Chemistry and Engineering, 18(2), 171–181.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kosheleva, N. E., Nabelkina, K. S., Ryzhov, A. V., Vlasov, D. V., & Kasimov, N. S. (2018). Physical and chemical properties of road dust in Moscow. Snow cover, precipitation, aerosols: technology, climate and ecology. Materials of the II International Scientific and Practical Conference, pp. 86–91.

  • Likhacheva, E. A. (1990). About the seven hills of Moscow (p. 143). Nauka.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lokoshchenko, M. A., Elansky, N. F., Trifanova, A. V., Belikov, I. B., & Skorokhod, A. I. (2016). On the maximum levels of air pollution in Moscow. Moscow University Bulletin, 5(4), 29–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lokoshchenko, M. A. et al. (2019). Ecological and climatic characteristics of the atmosphere of Moscow for 2018 according to data from the Metrological Observatory of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. Moscow: MAKS Press, electronic optical disc.

  • Loppi, S., & Paoli, L. (2015). Comparison of the trace element content in transplants of the lichen Evernia prunastri and in bulk atmospheric deposition: A case study from a low polluted environment (C Italy). Biologia, 70(4), 460–466.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Madadzada, A. I., Badawy, W. M., Hajiyeva, S. R., et al. (2019). Assessment of atmospheric deposition of major and trace elements using neutron activation analysis and GIS technology: Baku – Azerbaijan. Microchemical, 147, 605–614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2019.03.061

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Markert, B. (1992). Establishing of “Reference plant” for inorganic characterization of different plant species by chemical fingerprinting. Water, Soil and Air Pollution, 64, 533–538.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milićević, T., Aničić Urošević, M., Relić, D., Vuković, G., Škrivanj, S., Samson, R., & Popović, A. (2018). The grapevine leaves as bioindicators of air pollution by toxic elements and magnetic particles in experimental, commercial and organic vineyards. The 8 International Workshop on Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Pollution (BIOMAP 8) July 2−7 Dubna Russia Book of abstracts 37.

  • Pavlov, S. S., Dmitriev, A. Y., & Frontasyeva, M. V. (2016). Automation system for neutron activation analysis at the reactor IBR-2, Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 309, 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-4864-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team. (2022). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. https://www.R-project.org

  • Report “On the state of the environment in the city of Moscow in 2021” / Ed. A. O. Kulbachevsky. - Moscow, 2022. - 234 p. https://www.mos.ru/eco/documents/doklady/view/271573220. Accessed 13 Dec 2023

  • Rivera, M., Zechmeister, H., Medina-Ramón, M., et al. (2011). Monitoring of heavy metal concentrations in home outdoor air using moss bags. Environmental Pollution, 159(4), 954–962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.12.004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Runova, E. M., & Gavrilin, I. I. (2010). Some morphometric features of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles in the areas of industrial air pollution in the city of Bratsk. Vestnik Kras GAU, 10, 106–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • SanPiN 1.2.3685-21. (n.d.). Hygienic standards and requirements for ensuring the safety and (or) harmlessness of environmental factors for humans [Electronic resource]. URL: https://docs.cntd.ru/document/573500115 (date of access: 10/10/2021).

  • Shvetsova, M. S., Kamanina, I. Z., Frontasyeva, M. V., Madadzada, A. I., Zinicovscaia, I., Pavlov, S. S., Vergel, K. N., & Yushin, N. S. (2019). Active moss biomonitoring using the «moss bag technique» in the park of Moscow. Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters, 16(6), 994–1003. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1547477119060293

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shvetsova, M. S., Kamanina, I. Z., Madadzada, A. I., Nekhoroshkov, P. S., Yushin, N. S., Zinkovskaya, I. I., Pavlov, S. S., & Frontasyeva, M. V. (2020). Determination of trace elements (Cu, Sb, Pb, V, Zn) on the territory of recreational areas of Moscow using technology moss in bags. Advances in Current Natural Sciences, 8, 74–82. https://doi.org/10.17513/use.37461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shvetsova, M. S., Kamanina, I. Z., Zinkovskaya, I. I., Madadzada, A. I., & Nekhoroshkov, P. S. (2021). Study of the elemental composition of woody and shrubby plants in the recreational areas of Moscow. Ecology of Urbanized Areas, 3, 39–50. https://doi.org/10.24412/1816-1863-2021-3-39-50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Snezhko, S. I., & Shevchenko, O. G. (2011). Sources of heavy metals in the atmosphere. Scientific Notes of RSHU, 18, 35–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokolova, OYa., Stryapkov, A. V., Antimonov, S. V., & Solovykh, SYu. (2006). Heavy metals in the element-soil-grain crops system. Vestnik OGU, 4, 106–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teplaya, G. A. (2013). Heavy metals as a factor in environmental pollution (literature review). Astrakhan Bulletin of Environmental Education, 1(23), 182–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vlasov, D. V., Kosheleva, N. E., Terskaya, E. V., & Eremina, I. D. (2021). Influence of anthropogenic and landscape factors on precipitation of heavy metals from the atmosphere in the western part of Moscow. In the collection Environmental problems of industrial cities: A collection of scientific papers based on the materials of the 10th International Scientific and Practical Conference, place of publication Amirit LLC 152–156.

  • Vodyanitsky, YuN. (2009). Heavy and superheavy metals and metalloids in contaminated soils. - M.: GNU Soil Institute. V.V. Dokuchaev of the Russian Agricultural Academy, p. 95.

  • Vuković, G., AničićUrošević, M., Škrivanj, S., et al. (2016). Moss bag biomonitoring of airborne toxic element decrease on a small scale: A street study in Belgrade, Serbia. Science of the Total Environment, 542, 394–403. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201703.0064.v1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zinicovscaia, I., Aničić Urošević, M., Vergel, K., et al. (2018). Active moss biomonitoring of trace elements air pollution in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S, 25(3), 361–372. https://doi.org/10.1515/eces-2018-0024

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zinicovscaia, I., Hramco, C., Chaligava, O., Yushin, N., Grozdov, D., Vergel, K., & Duca, G. (2021). Accumulation of potentially toxic elements in mosses collected in the Republic of Moldova. Plants (Basel), 10(3), 471. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030471

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 6 Joliot-Curie Str., 1419890, Dubna, Russia

    M. S. Shvetsova, I. Z. Kamanina, I. Zinicovscaia, O. Chaligava, P. S. Nekhoroshkov & N. S. Yushin

  2. State University “Dubna”, 19 Universitetskaya St., Dubna, 141980, Russia

    I. Z. Kamanina

  3. Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Str.MG-6, Bucharest-Magurele, Romania

    I. Zinicovscaia

  4. Faculty of Exact and Natural Science, Georgian Technical University, 77 Merab Kostava Street, 0171, Tbilisi, Georgia

    O. Chaligava

Authors
  1. M. S. Shvetsova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. I. Z. Kamanina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. I. Zinicovscaia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. O. Chaligava
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. P. S. Nekhoroshkov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. N. S. Yushin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Shvetsova Margarita wrote the main text of the manuscript, Kamanina Inna and Zinicovscaia Inga made corrections and comments on the writing of the main text of the manuscript, Yushin Nikita prepared the map, Shvetsova Margarita performed the spectrum processing, Nekhoroshkov Pavel irradiated samples, Chaligava Omari performed the statistical data processing. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. S. Shvetsova.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All authors have read, understood, and have complied as applicable with the statement on “Ethical responsibilities of Authors” as found in the Instructions for Authors.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 153 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shvetsova, M.S., Kamanina, I.Z., Zinicovscaia, I. et al. Active moss biomonitoring of airborne potentially toxic elements in recreational areas of Moscow. Environ Monit Assess 196, 81 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-12210-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-12210-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation