Study of Nitrogen pollution in Macedonia by moss biomonitoring technique and Kjeldahl method

During the summer of 2005 and 2010 moss samples were collected from 72 sampling sites evenly distributed over the territory of Macedonia Kjeldahl method was used to determine the nitrogen content in the samples. Descriptive statistics and distribution maps were prepared. Data obtained from these two surveys were compared, and additional comparison was done with data obtained from similar studies in other European countries. The median value of N content in the samples collected in 2006 is 1.21 % and varies from 0.70 % to 1.54 %. The content of N in samples collected in 2010 ranges between 0.68 % and 1.75 % with the lower median value of 1.06 %. High contents of N were found in the eastern, north-eastern and central parts of the country as a result of agricultural activities, industry and traffic.