Moss Biomonitoring of Air Pollution Around the Coal Mine and Bitola Thermoelectric Power Plant, North Macedonia

From the obtained results of the air pollution study performed by moss biomonitoring in the vicinity of the coal mine and Bitola thermoelectric power plant, North Macedonia, it could be concluded that the analysed elements are grouped into four associations of elements: Factor 1 (Fe, Al, V, Ni, Li, Cr, Co, Ba, Pb, Sr, Mn and Zn), Factor 2 (Cu, Mo, Ag, Mg and Zn), Factor 3 (K, P, Na, Mg and Cu) and Factor 4 (As, Cd). The elements included in the first association are present in varying contents throughout the studied area with higher contents of these elements found in the moss samples from the central part of the area. It was found that some of the elements have higher content in the parts close to thermoelectric power plant (TEP) and in the area between TEP and the city of Bitola. This is the case for the spatial distribution of chromium, zinc and copper from Factors 2 and 3. The spatial distribution maps indicate the areas under the dust from the fly ash and slag deposit in the TEP Bitola because these elements are present in higher content in the waste materials than in the surrounding soil.