title: Environmental distribution of uranium and other trace elements at selected Kosovo sites.
abstract: This paper reports the results of a study using lichens as biomonitors to investigate the environmental distribution of uranium and other trace elements at selected Kosovo sites. The results suggested that the use of depleted uranium (DU) ammunitions in Kosovo did not cause a diffuse environmental contamination in such a way to have caused a detectable U enrichment in lichens. Also isotopic (235)U/(238)U measurements did not indicate the presence of DU particles in lichens. The present results also provided no indication of intense environmental contamination by the other trace elements analyzed, with the exception of Kosovska Mitrovica, where a diffuse environmental contamination by several heavy elements such as Pb, Zn, As and Cd was found.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali G. Sarfatti, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, I-53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Di Lella
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frati
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loppi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Protano
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riccobono
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005843:Geography; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D014501:Uranium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D015022:Yugoslavia
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014131:Trace Elements; D014501:Uranium