Multi-elemental profile and enviromagnetic analysis of moss transplants exposed indoors and outdoors in Italy and Belgium. (15th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sorrentino, Maria Cristina; Wuyts, Karen; Joosen, Steven; Mubiana, Valentine K.; Giordano, Simonetta; Samson, Roeland; Capozzi, Fiore; Spagnuolo, Valeria
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 289(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11-15
• Subjects: Air metal pollution -- Hypnum cupressiforme -- Indoor pollution -- SIRM analysis -- Moss bags; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117871
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Air pollution represents one of the major concerns worldwide, fueled by the increasing urbanization and related PM production worsening air quality in open air as well as in confined environments. In the present work, exposure to atmospheric metal pollution was investigated in 20 paired indoor (I)-outdoor (O) sites located in two urban areas of Italy and Belgium, by chemical (ICP-MS) and magnetic (saturation isothermal remanent magnetization, SIRM) analyses of Hypnum cupressiforme moss exposed in bags. After 12 weeks, the elemental profiles of the moss material exposed in the two countries largely overlapped, except for some elements which specifically accumulated in Belgium (Ag, As, Cd, Mo, Pb and Sb) and in Italy (Ca, Mg, Co, Cr, Sr, Ti and U). Element concentrations were higher in moss exposed outdoors, with the Italian sites mostly showing a terrigenous footprint, and the Belgian sites mostly affected by elements of environmental concern (e.g., As, Pb, Sb). The Indoor/Outdoor ratios (mostly lower than 0.75) indicated indoor pollution as strongly affected by outdoor pollution, although specific elements could be of indoor origin or magnified in indoor environments (e.g., Al, Ag, Cd and Co). In line with the chemical analysis, the SIRM signal was significantly higher in outdoor than indoor moss material. A positive, significant correlation was observed between SIRM and several accumulated elements indicating SIRM analysis as a powerful tool to predict the level of metal pollution. Moss bags were confirmed as a useful and versatile tool to highlight metal contamination even in confined environments, an essential prerogative in the perspective of the evaluation of the total exposure risk for humans to these pollutants. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Indoor-outdoor air elemental pollution was studied by moss bags in two EU countries. SIRM and ICP-MS analyses showed element contents higher outdoors than indoors. Element profiles largely overlapped except for some country-specific pollutants. Metal correlations showed that most indoor pollution came from outdoors. Indoor-outdoor ratios revealed the presence of indoor sources for specific elements.