Active moss biomonitoring technique for atmospheric elemental contamination in Hanoi using proton induced X-ray emission

For the first time, the active moss biomonitoring technique has been used in Vietnam for investigation of atmospheric elemental contamination in the air of Hanoi region. The Sphagnum girgensohnii moss harvested in the clean area were used to produce the moss-bags. After 2 months of expose in 45 different sites in Hanoi area, the moss samples were prepared and the concentration of 27 heavy metal elements were determined by proton induced X-ray emission at Cyclotron Research Center of Iwate Medical University (Japan). The comparison of the obtained results with those in several cities in Europe shows that Hanoi’s air pollution of heavy metal is much more serious. Based on the values of contamination coefficient, it is shown that Hanoi’s air is extremely polluted by Co; seriously polluted by V and Se; moderately polluted by Cl, Cr, As, Br, Zr, Nb, Mo and Hg; slightly polluted by Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba, W and Pb Statistical analysis has been applied to the original concentration data of the detected elements to find the possible pollution sources.