New Results from Air Pollution Studies in Romania

Abstract

Results from the Atm. Deposition of Heavy Metals in Rural and Urban Areas of Romania Studied by the Moss Biomonitoring Technique Employing Nuclear and Related Anal. Techniques, conducted under the auspices of the International At. Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, are reported. A total of 70 moss samples (Hypnum cupressiforme) were collected from highly polluted areas in northeastern Transylvania in summer 1999. Samples were analyzed by epithermal neutron activation anal. using a pulsed fast reactor IBR-2 at JINR, Dubna, for many elements, including heavy metals and rare earths (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni [by (n,p) reaction], Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ag, Sn, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Nb, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Th, and U). IAEA certified ref. materials were used to ensure quality of the measurements. The regional extent of pollution with specific metals was detd. Like another strongly polluted area, the southern Ural Mountains, Sb concns. as high as 50 ppm were obsd. near Cergau. Results were consistent with those obtained in previous moss surveys in Romania and with studies conducted in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and other countries. [on SciFinder(R)]