title: Seasonal comparison of moss bag technique against vertical snow samples for monitoring atmospheric pollution.
abstract: This is the first study seasonally applying Sphagnum papillosum moss bags and vertical snow samples for monitoring atmospheric pollution. Moss bags, exposed in January, were collected together with snow samples by early March 2012 near the Harjavalta Industrial Park in southwest Finland. Magnetic, chemical, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), K-means clustering, and Tomlinson pollution load index (PLI) data showed parallel spatial trends of pollution dispersal for both materials. Results strengthen previous findings that concentrate and slag handling activities were important (dust) emission sources while the impact from Cu-Ni smelter's pipe remained secondary at closer distances. Statistically significant correlations existed between the variables of snow and moss bags. As a summary, both methods work well for sampling and are efficient pollutant accumulators. Moss bags can be used also in winter conditions and they provide more homogeneous and better controlled sampling method than snow samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Geology, University of Turku, Turku FI-20014, Finland. Electronic address: hanna.salo@utu.fi.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salo
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Geology, University of Turku, Turku FI-20014, Finland; Centre for Research of Lifelong Learning and Education (CELE), University of Turku, Turku FI-20014, Finland.
authors.forename: Anna-Kaisa
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Berisha
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Geology, University of Turku, Turku FI-20014, Finland.
authors.forename: Joni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mäkinen
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005387:Finland; D012621:Seasons; D012914:Snow / Q000737:chemistry*; D044003:Sphagnopsida / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants
keywords: Biomonitoring; Heavy metal; Industrial pollution; Magnetic susceptibility; Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy