DETERMINATION OF SOME VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS USING BIOINDICATOR SAMPLES

Moss samples (Hypnum cupressiforme) and leaves of different trees (Pinus Nigra) were collected, in February 2014, in different stations in Albania for determination of airborne for some VOCs levels. This study proves that these bioindicators were suitable in the monitoring of the different classes of organic pollutants such are volatile organic compounds (VOC), organochlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), etc. Five stations were in Tirana city, two in Durres, one in Kavaja, one in Elbasan and two in Fieri city. The analyses of organic pollutants in air samples are limited for many laboratories because of the lack of materials for the sampling of air samples. Another limitation is that data obtained from air samples represent of-the-moment data because of vertical and horizontal air current, temperature, humidity, etc. Mosses, tree leaves and lichens are probably the most widely used plant group in relation to the assessment of airborne organic compounds. The quantitative analysis of VOC was performed by the gas chromatography method by using a flame ionization detector (FID). The column used was a VF-1ms capillary column (30 m x 0.33 mm x 0.25 ?m). The total of PCB concentration in mosses ranges between 5 and 26 ?g/g fresh weight sample. Benzene, toluene and chlorobenzene were detected at higher levels than other VOC compounds obtained in the study.