Abstract
Atmospheric deposition poses significant ecological concerns. It is very important in air pollution researches to provide fast and efficient access to qualitative and quantitative characterization. Case study was introduced in order to implement the multidisciplinary approach in the investigations. When monitoring the distribution of certain substances in the air, it is necessary to choose very carefully the medium that will reflect not only the current but also the long-term atmospheric deposition. Attic dust was examined as historical archive of anthropogenic emissions, with the aim of elucidating the pathways of enrichments associated with exploitation of Cu, Pb and Zn minerals in the Bregalnica river basin region. Attic dust samples were collected from 84 settlements. At each location for attic dust sampling, topsoil samples from the house yards were also collected. Mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS) was applied as an analytical technique for multi-element determination. The universal kriging method with linear variogram interpolation was applied for the construction of spatial distribution maps. Data interpretation was considered in correlation with dominant geological units. Significantly enriched contents for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn have been correlated with the lithogenic dominance of Rifeous shales. Both Pb-Zn mine environs were identified as the most affected areas with lead and zinc enrichments, due to the continually long-time wind dust dispersion from the flotation tailings. Atypical deposition was revealed for In, Te and W, as silent tracker for air pollution.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ajmone-Marsan F, Biasioli M, Kralj T, Grčman H, Davidson CM, Hursthouse AS, Madrid L, Rodrigues S (2008) Metals in particle-size fractions of the soils of five European cities. Environ Pollut 152(1):73–81
Alijagić J (2008) Distribution of chemical elements in an old metallurgic area, Zenica (Central Bosnia). MSc thesis, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Alijagić J, Šajn R (2011) Distribution of chemical elements in an old metallurgical area, Zenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Geoderma 162(1):71–85
Angelovska S, Stafilov T, Šajn R, Balabanova B (2016) Geogenic and anthropogenic moss responsiveness to element distribution around a Pb–Zn mine, Toranica, Republic of Macedonia. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 70(3):487–505
Arsovski M (1997) Tectonics of Macedonia. Faculty of Mining and Geology, Štip, 1–306
Artiola JF, Pepper I, Brussean L (2004) Environmental monitoring and characterization. Elsevier Academic Press, San Diego
Athar M, Vohora S (1995) Heavy metals and environment. New Age International publishers, New Delhi
Bačeva K, Stafilov T, Šajn R (2012) Monitoring of air pollution with heavy metals in the vicinity of ferronickel smelter plant by deposited dust. Maced J Ecol Environ 1(1–2):17–24
Balabanova B, Stafilov T, Šajn R, Bačeva K (2011) Distribution of chemical elements in attic dust as reflection of their geogenic and anthropogenic sources in the vicinity of the copper mine and flotation plant. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 61(2):173–184
Balabanova B, Stafilov T, Šajn R (2019) Enchasing anthropogenic element trackers for evidence of long-term atmospheric depositions in mine environs. J Environ Sci Health A 54(10):988–998
Beelen R, Hoek G, Pebesma E, Vienneau D, de Hoogh K, Briggs DJ (2009) Mapping of background air pollution at a fine spatial scale across the European Union. Sci Total Environ 407(6):1852–1867
Box GE, Cox DR (1964) An analysis of transformations. J R Stat Soc B:211–252
Cizdziel JV, Hodge VF (2000) Attics as archives for house infiltrating pollutants: trace elements and pesticides in attic dust and soil from southern Nevada and Utah. Microchem J 64(1):85–92
Cizdziell JV, Hodge VF, Faller SH (1998) Plutonium anomalies in attic dust and soils at locations surrounding the Nevada test site. Chemosphere 37(6):1157–1168
Coronas MV, Bavaresco J, Rocha JAV, Geller AM, Caramão EB, Rodrigues MLK, Vargas VMF (2013) Attic dust assessment near a wood treatment plant: past air pollution and potential exposure. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 95:153–160
Davis JJ, Gulson BL (2005) Ceiling (attic) dust: a “museum” of contamination and potential hazard. Environ Res 99(2):177–194
De Miguel E, Llamas JF, Chacon E, Mazadiego LF (1999) Sources and pathways of trace elements in urban environments: a multi-elemental qualitative approach. Sci Total Environ 235(1):355–357
de Smith MJ, Goodchild MF, Longley PA (2009) Geospatial analysis: a comprehensive guide to principles. In: Techniques and software tools. Matador, Leicester, UK
Dumurdzanov N, Serafimovski T, Burchfiel BC (2004) Evolution of the Neogene-Pleistocene basins of Macedonia. Geol Soc Am Bull 1:1–20
Duruibe JO, Ogwuegbu MOC, Egwurugwu JN (2007) Heavy metal pollution and human biotoxic effects. Int J Phys Sci 2(5):112–118
Finlayson-Pitts BJ, Pitts JJN (1999) Chemistry of the upper and lower atmosphere: theory, experiments, and applications. Academic Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Fordyce FM, Brown SE, Ander EL, Rawlins BG, O’Donnell KE, Lister TR et al (2005) GSUE: urban geochemical mapping in Great Britain. Geochem Explor Environ Anal 5(4):325–336
Goodarzi F (2006) Assessment of elemental content of feed coal, combustion residues, and stack emitted materials for a Canadian pulverized coal fired power plant, and their possible environmental effect. Int J Coal Geol 65:17–25
Gosar M, Teršič T (2012) Environmental geochemistry studies in the area of Idrija mercury mine, Slovenia. Environ Geochem Health 34(1):27–41
Gosar M, Šajn R, Biester H (2006) Binding of mercury in soils and attic dust in the Idrija mercury mine area (Slovenia). Sci Total Environ 369(1):150–162
Hensley AR, Scott A, Rosenfeld PE, Clark JJJ (2007) Attic dust and human blood samples collected near a former wood treatment facility. Environ Res 105(2):194–199
Hoenig M (2001) Preparation steps in environmental trace element analysis-facts and traps. Talanta 54:1021–1038
Ilacqua V, Freeman NC, Fagliano J, Lioy PJ (2003) The historical record of air pollution as defined by attic dust. Atmos Environ 37(17):2379–2389
ISO 14869-1 (2001) Soil quality: dissolution for the determination of total element content - Part 1: Dissolution with hydrofluoric and perchloric acids. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland
Jemec Auflič MJ, Šajn R (2007) Geochemical research of soil and attic dust in Litija area. Geologija 50(2):497–505
Lazarevski А (1993) Climate in Macedonia. Kultura, Skopje
Li Z, Zhu Q, Gold C (2005) Digital terrain modeling – principles and methodology. CRC Press, Florida
Lioy PJ, Weisel CP, Millette JR, Eisenreich S, Vallero D, Offenberg J, Buckley B, Turpin B, Zhong M, Cohen MD, Prophete C, Yang I, Stiles R, Chee G, Johnson W, Porcja R, Alimokhtari S, Hale RC, Weschler C, Chen LC (2002) Characterization of the dust/smoke aerosol that settled east of the World Trade Center (WTC) in lower Manhattan after the collapse of the WTC 11 September 2001. Environ Health Perspect 110(7):703–714
Pavilonis BT, Lioy PJ, Guazzetti S, Bostick BC, Donna F, Peli M, Zimmerman NJ, Bertrand P, Lucas E, Smith DR (2015) Manganese concentrations in soil and settled dust in an area with historic ferroalloy production. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 25(4):443–450
Reimann C, Filzmoser P, Fabian K, Hron K, Birke M, Demetriades A, Dinelli E, Ladenberger A. (2012) The concept of compositional data analysis in practice – Total major element concentrations in agricultural and grazing land soils of Europe. Sci Total Environ 426:196–210
Šajn R (2000) Influence of lithology and anthropogenic activity on distribution of chemical elements in dwelling dust, Slovenia. Geologija 43:85–101
Šajn R (2001) Geochemical research of soil and attic dust in Celje area (Slovenia). Geologija 44:351–362
Šajn R (2002) Influence of mining and metallurgy on chemical composition of soil and attic dust in Meža valley, Slovenia. Geologija 45:547–552
Šajn R (2003) Distribution of chemical elements in attic dust and soil as reflection of lithology and anthropogenic influence in Slovenia. J Phys 107:1173–1176
Šajn R (2005) Using attic dust and soil for the separation of anthropogenic and geogenic elemental distributions in an old metallurgic area (Celje, Slovenia). Geochemistry 5:59–67
Šajn R (2006) Factor analysis of soil and attic-dust to separate mining and metallurgy influence, Meza valley, Slovenia. Math Geol 38:735–746
Salminen R, Batista MJ, Bidovec M, Demetriades A, De Vivo B, De Vos W, Duris M, Gilucis A, Gregorauskiene V, Halamic J, Heitzmann P, Heitzmann P, Lima A, Jordan G, Klaver G, Klein P, Lis J, Locutura J, Marsina K, Mazreku A, O’Connor PJ, Olsson SÅ, Ottesen RT, Petersell V, Plant JA, Reeder S, Salpeteur I, Sandström H, Siewers U, Steenfelt A, Tarvainen T (2005) Geochemical atlas of Europe. Part 1 – Background information, methodology and maps. Geological survey of Finland, Espoo, Finland
Salomons W (1995) Environmental impact of metals derived from mining activities: processes, predictions, preventions. J Geochem Explor 44:5–23
Sengupta М (1993) Environmental impacts of mining: monitoring, restoration and control. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton
Siegel FR (2002) Environmental geochemistry of potentially toxic metals. Springer, Berlin, Heidedelberg
Tye AM, Hodgkinson ES, Rawlins BG (2006) Microscopic and chemical studies of metal particulates in tree bark and attic dust: evidence for historical atmospheric smelter emissions, Humberside, UK. J Environ Monit 8(9):904–912
Van het Bolcher M, Van der Gon DH, Groenenberg BJ, Ilyin I, Reinds GJ, Slootweg J, Travnikov O, Visschedijk A, de Vries W (2006) Heavy metal emissions, depositions, critical loads and exceedances in Europe. In: Hettelingh JP, Sliggers J (eds) . National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Wageningen, The Netherland
VanLoon GW, Duffy SJ (2000) Environmental chemistry: a global perspective. Oxford University Press, New York
Völgyesi P, Jordan G, Zacháry D, Szabó C, Bartha A, Matschullat J (2014) Attic dust reflects long-term airborne contamination of an industrial area: a case study from Ajka, Hungary. Appl Geochem 46:19–29
Wellmer FW (1998) Statistical evaluations in exploration for mineral deposits. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg
Wong CS, Li X, Thornton I (2006) Urban environmental geochemistry of trace metals. Environ Pollut 142(1):1–16
Zeigler BP, Praehofer H, Kim TG (2000) Theory of modelling and simulation, 2nd edn. Academic Press, San Diego
Žibret G (2008) Determination of historical emission of heavy metals into the atmosphere: Celje case study. Environ Geol 56:189–196
Žibret G, Šajn R (2008) Modelling of atmospheric dispersion of heavy metals in the Celje area, Slovenia. J Geochem Explor 97(1):29–41
Žibret G, Šajn R (2010) Hunting for geochemical associations of elements: factor analysis and self-organising maps. Math Geosci 42:681–703
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Šajn, R., Balabanova, B., Stafilov, T., Tănăselia, C. (2021). Evidence for Atmospheric Depositions Using Attic Dust, Spatial Mapping and Multivariate Stats. In: Balabanova, B., Stafilov, T. (eds) Contaminant Levels and Ecological Effects. Emerging Contaminants and Associated Treatment Technologies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66135-9_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66135-9_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-66134-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-66135-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)