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Moss bag ( Sphagnum papillosum ) magnetic and elemental properties for characterising seasonal and spatial variation in urban pollution
Salo, H.; Paturi, P. & Mäkinen, J.
Abstract
This study investigates the seasonal and spatial
variation of traffic-induced particle matter in order to
evaluate the pollutant distribution and the representativeness
of the single air quality monitoring station in the city
centre of Turku, southwest Finland. Study focused on
parks, kindergarten and school yards as well as heavily
trafficked sites. Sampling was done using active magnetic
biomonitoring, which is highly applicable in polluted areas
lacking native species. Sphagnum papillosum moss bags
were exposed separately in road dust period, which is
experienced after snow melt and the resuspension of
sanding material in spring, and summer season for about
60 days in 2013. Moss bags are magnetically and elementally
(e.g. Al, Cr, Fe, Na, Ni, Pb) more enriched in road
dust period and near heavily trafficked sites than in summer
season and in the courtyard or park sites. Magnetic properties
indicate that particle matter is composed of fine-grained
pseudo-single-domain magnetite towards super-paramagnetic–single-domain grain sizes. Intensive road
dust period overrides the variation of prevailing conditions
as indicated by three paired samples showing finer grain
sizes and higher element levels in courtyard/park sites than
in traffic sites in summer. The results emphasise the
effectiveness of active magnetic biomonitoring for the
assessment of spatially representative air quality monitoring
stations and related modelling approaches.
Keywords
Active biomonitoring; Environmental magnetism; Particle matter; Road dust; Traffic
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