Monitoring of soil and air pollution with heavy metals in Bitola and its environs

This monitoring is performed in order to establish the level of atmospheric deposition with heavy metals in Bitola and its environs, Republic of Macedonia, as well as the distribution of various elements in soil from the same region. The research area with total of 1400 km² included 58 locations were soil samples were collected, 38 moss samples and 3 different spots where for a period of 1 year, each month total deposit matter was collected. The samples were analysed by inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Data analysis and construction of maps were performed using appropriate statistical software. Factor analysis for soil samples revealed four geogenic geochemical associations: F1 (Cr-Cu-Fe-Mg-Ni-V), F2 (Ca-Sr), F3 (Ga-Li) and F4 (Ba-K) and one anthropogenic association F5 (Pb-Zn). For moss samples two geogenic (F1 and F4) and two anthropogenic geochemical associations (F2 and F3) were determined: Fl (Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Ga, Ge, Hf, In, Li, Ni, Rb, Se, Sr, Ta, Tc, Tl , V, Y, Zr, lanthanides and platinum group metals); F2 (Ag, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sn, and Zn); F3 (B, Ca, K, Mg, Na, and P) and F4 (Nb, Sb, and W). Arsenic was a special case; it was the only element that illustrates influence from the operation of open pit brown coal mining and thermoelectric power plant REK Bitola. (author)