COMPERATIVE STYDY ON HEAVY METAL POLLUTION IN THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF ALBANIA

The assessment of heavy metal pollution is an important indicator of air quality. The major causes of heavy metal contamination are human activity. Many methods for assessing air pollution from heavy metals are used, but a widespread approach is that of using the moss as a highly efficient bio-monitor. Bio-monitoring with moss, provides us good information on levels of pollution in space and time. The purpose of our study consists in the comparative assessment of the heavy metal pollution of the southeastern region of Albania. The study covers an area of about 4000 km inhabited by 300,000 residents. Hypnumm cupressiforme is used as a bio-monitor. This moss species was spread and can found easy in the study area. Sampling took place in two periods June 2010 and June 2015 at 7 stations in the study area. Samples of the same kind of moss were collected at the same stations in both cases. Sampling was performed in accordance with the LRTAP Convention – ICP Vegetation protocol and sampling strategy of the European Program on Bio-monitoring of Heavy Metal Atmospheric Deposition. Eleven elements Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn were analyzed with ICP-AES technique. The results obtained from the two monitoring periods, were statistically processed using linear correlation analysis, multivariate analysis (cluster and factor analysis) and principal component analysis. From the analysis of the results we conclude that the levels of pollution by heavy metal metals Al, Cr, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Pb, V and Zn in the southeastern region, have dropped over 5 years. Easily raised values represent Ni and Cu elements.