Assessment of vertical element distribution in street canyons using the moss Sphagnum girgensohnii: A case study in Belgrade and Moscow cities

Özet

Sphagnum girgensohnii moss bags were used to study the small-scale vertical distribution of some majorand trace elements in different types of street canyons (regular, deep and avenue types) in Belgrade andMoscow urban area. The exposure time was 10 weeks during the summer of 2011. The exposure of mossbags was at three different levels to test differences in deposition patterns according to height. The differencesbetween the street and off-street side in the vertical element distribution in Moscow were testedtoo. The concentration of 25 major and trace elements in moss was determined by instrumental neutronactivation analysis. The results showed that the accumulation of elements in the exposed moss bags werehigher in deep and regular street canyons in comparison to that of the avenue type, the latter even with ahigher traffic flow. The element concentrations were the highest at the lowest heights compared to thoseof the upper floors. For most determined elements the concentrations were lower on the off-streetavenue side compared to the on-street side for all heights of moss exposure. The results obtained indicatethat S. girgensohnii is sensitive to small-scale variations of the total concentrations of elements.