A COMPARISON OF HEAVY-METAL DEPOSITION IN SELECTED EASTERN-EUROPEAN COUNTRIES USING THE MOSS MONITORING METHOD, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE BLACK TRIANGLE

The paper describes the use of moss analyses to compare heavy-metal po llution in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic . Special emphasis is placed on the regions where three countries meet within the area covered by the survey. In the countries participating , samples of Pleurozium schreberi, Scleropodium purum, Hypnum cupressi forme and Hylocomium splendens, Polytrichum formosum and Dicranum scop arium were collected at a total of 831 sampling points and analyzed fo r the elements Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn. The results were then pr esented in the form of coloured contour maps using the geographic info rmation system (GIS) ARC-Info. The values found for heavy metals docum ent the level of technical development in the countries concerned, whi ch is generally characterized by a low standard in respect df emission -reducing systems. Moreover, the heavy-metal concentrations reflect th e sources of emissions characteristic of the areas in which they occur . Above all, these are the primary use of coal (both hard coal and lig nite) as an energy source, the chemical industry and ferrous- and non- ferrous metal working, which produce considerable emissions of particu late and fly ash, and also the use of leaded petrol. In most cases the moss method made it possible to identify the areas affected by the va rious industrial locations. The results show an increase in heavy-meta l concentrations and higher average levels in the eastern parts of the countries compared. The paper also discusses the possibility of inclu ding the 'three-country triangle' further east in studies of Eastern E urope on the grounds that it constitutes another 'Black Triangle' in a ddition to the already familiar one. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Scien ce B.V.