Comparison of Two Analytical Techniques For Lead Determination in Soils and Mosses Samples

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the results of the lead levels obtained by two different techniques in the soil and mosses samples taken from the entire territory of the Republic of Kosovo. The atmospheric deposition of lead through the biomonitoring technique was done for the first time in Kosovo by using quartz tube flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and furnace AAS. The analytical results obtained by both techniques were very close to each other for the concentration of lead up to 0.15 mg kg^-1. Mosses were used as bioindicators due to the purpose that they take the food from the rainfall and atmospheric dust. Two types of terrestrial mosses (Pseudosclerpodium purum and Hypnum cupressiforme) and the soil, collected in June-July 2011 at 25 sites evenly distributed over the whole region of Kosovo, were used in this study. The lead concentration varies from ~ 11-416 mg kg^-1 in the soil and from ~ 3-50 mg kg^-1, DW in mosses, depending on the pollution zone. From the obtained results, we conclude that the lead levels are higher at the sampling positions near the polluted area of industry and heavy traffic.