Skip to main content
Have a personal or library account? Click to login
Air Deposition of Heavy Metals in the Prishtina Region Using Mosses and Lichens as Bioindicators Cover

Air Deposition of Heavy Metals in the Prishtina Region Using Mosses and Lichens as Bioindicators

Open Access
|Jul 2026

References

  1. Ali H, Khan E, Ilahi I. Environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology of hazardous heavy metals: environmental persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. J Chem. 2019;2019(1):6730305. DOI: 10.1155/2019/6730305.
  2. Mahapatra B, Dhal NK, Dash AK, Panda BP, Panigrahi KCS, Pradhan A. Perspective of mitigating atmospheric heavy metal pollution: using mosses as biomonitoring and indicator organism. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 2019;26(29):29620-38. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06270-z.
  3. Koller M, Saleh HM. Introductory chapter: Introducing heavy metals. Heavy metals. 2018;1:3-11. DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.74783.
  4. Malizia D, Giuliano A, Ortaggi G, Masotti A. Common plants as alternative analytical tools to monitor heavy metals in soil. Chem Central J. 2012;6(Suppl 2):S6. DOI: 10.1186/1752-153X-6-S2-S6.
  5. Abd Elnabi MK, Elkaliny NE, Elyazied MM, Azab SH, Elkhalifa SA, Elmasry S, et al. Toxicity of heavy metals and recent advances in their removal: a review. Toxics. 2023;11(7):580. DOI: 10.3390/toxics11070580.
  6. Kastrati G, Sopaj F, Bytyqi V, Stafilov T, Šajn R, Paçarizi M. Presence and correlation of potentially toxic elements in honey, pollen, and soil samples in Kosovo. J Environ Sci Health, Part A. 2025;60(7):333-41. DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2025.2594372.
  7. Wan Y, Liu J, Zhuang Z, Wang Q, Li H. Heavy metals in agricultural soils: Sources, influencing factors, and remediation strategies. Toxics. 2024;12(1):63. DOI: 10.3390/toxics12010063.
  8. Angon PB, Islam MS, Das A, Anjum N, Poudel A, Suchi SA. Sources, effects and present perspectives of heavy metals contamination: Soil, plants and human food chain. Heliyon. 2024;10(7). DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28357.
  9. Orji OA, Edosa IV, Ogbemudia I, Omokaro SO, Elenwo CE. Assessment of some heavy metals in soils and plants growth in dumpsites. J Environ Sci Toxicol Food Technol. 2018;12(3):17-23. DOI: 10.9790/2402-1203031723.
  10. Sharma M, Kant R, Sharma AK, Sharma AK. Exploring the impact of heavy metals toxicity in the aquatic ecosystem. Int J Energy Water Resour. 2025;9(1):267-80. DOI: 10.1007/s42108-024-00284-1.
  11. Wolterbeek B. Biomonitoring of trace element air pollution: principles, possibilities and perspectives. Environ Pollut. 2002;120(1):11-21. DOI: 10.1016/S0269-7491(02)00124-0.
  12. Loppi S, Frati L, Paoli L, Bigagli V, Rossetti C, Bruscoli C, et al. Biodiversity of epiphytic lichens and heavy metal contents of Flavoparmelia caperata thalli as indicators of temporal variations of air pollution in the town of Montecatini Terme (central Italy). Sci Total Environ. 2004;326(1-3):113-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.12.003.
  13. Lisiak-Zielińska M, Borowiak K, Budka A, Kanclerz J, Janicka E, Kaczor A, et al. How polluted are cities in central Europe? - Heavy metal contamination in Taraxacum officinale and soils collected from different land use areas of three representative cities. Chemosphere. 2021;266:129113. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129113.
  14. Contardo T, Gazzotti S, Ortenzi MA, Vannini A, Loppi S. Biological effects of air pollution on sensitive bioindicators: A case study from Milan, Italy. Urban Sci. 2021;5(3):64. DOI: 10.3390/urbansci5030064.
  15. Loppi S, Bonini I. Lichens and mosses as biomonitors of trace elements in areas with thermal springs and fumarole activity (Mt. Amiata, central Italy). Chemosphere. 2000;41(9):1333-6. DOI: 10.1016/S0045-6535(00)00026-6.
  16. Lazo P, Steinnes E, Qarri F, Allajbeu S, Kane S, Stafilov T, et al. Origin and spatial distribution of metals in moss samples in Albania: A hotspot of heavy metal contamination in Europe. Chemosphere. 2018;190:337-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.09.132.
  17. Thakur M, Bhardwaj S, Kumar V, Rodrigo-Comino J. Lichens as effective bioindicators for monitoring environmental changes: a comprehensive review. Total Environ Adv. 2024;9:200085. DOI: 10.1016/j.teadva.2023.200085.
  18. Ramadani M, Lepitkova S, Ismaili V, Paçarizi M. Potentially toxic elements and microplastics in mosses around the industrial zone of Obiliq in the Republic of Kosovo. Ecol Eng Environ Technol. 2025;26(12):103-12. DOI: 10.12912/27197050/213828.
  19. Bahinskyi L, Świsłowski P, Isinkaralar O, Isinkaralar K, Rajfur M. Low-cost monitoring of airborne heavy metals using lichen bioindicators: insights from Opole, Southern Poland. Atmosphere. 2025;16(5):576. DOI: 10.3390/atmos16050576
  20. Szczepaniak K, Biziuk M. Aspects of the biomonitoring studies using mosses and lichens as indicators of metal pollution. Environ Res. 2003;93(3):221-30. DOI: 10.1016/S0013-9351(03)00141-5.
  21. Javaid A, Yousaf W, Ahmad SR, Qadir A. Application of pollution indices for the assessment of heavy metal hazards in soil using GIS approach. Arabian J Geosci. 2020;13(22):1212. DOI: 10.1007/s12517-020-06164-2.
  22. Weissmannová HD, Pavlovský J. Indices of soil contamination by heavy metals-methodology of calculation for pollution assessment (mini review). Environ Monitoring Assess. 2017;189(12):616. DOI: 10.1007/s12517-020-06164-2.
  23. Allajbeu S, Qarri F, Marku E, Bekteshi L, Ibro V, Frontasyeva MV, et al. Contamination scale of atmospheric deposition for assessing air quality in Albania evaluated from most toxic heavy metal and moss biomonitoring. Air Quality Atmosphere Health. 2017;10(5):587-99. DOI: 10.1007/s11869-016-0453-9
  24. Pruthi V. Geological features of Kosova. In: Ismajli R, Kraja M, editors. Kosova: A Monographic Survey. Kosova Acad Sci Arts. 2013: pp. 28-34. Available from: https://ashak.org/botime/kosova-a-monographic-survey/.
  25. Berisha N, Krasniqi E, Bytyqi V. Biogeographical regionalization of Kosovo: integrating vegetation, climate and topography. Mediterranean Botany. 2025;46(1):e99744. DOI: 10.5209/mbot.99744.
  26. Cakaj A, Lisiak-Zielińska M, Drzewiecka K, Budka A, Borowiak K, Drapikowska M, et al. Potential impact of urban land use on microplastic atmospheric deposition: A case study in Pristina City, Kosovo. Sustainability. 2023;15(23):16464. DOI: 10.3390/su152316464.
  27. Ibrahimi B, Bytyqi V, Agaj T, Ramadani I. Agricultural land, coal mining, and urbanisation: A GIS-based analysis of land cover changes in Kosovo. J Degraded Mining Lands Manage. 2026;13(1):9635-44. DOI: 10.15243/jdmlm.2026.131.9635.
  28. Bytyqi V. Groundwater and population dynamics: Examining the relationship between aquifer resources and population distribution in Kosovo. Geografický Časopis / Geographical J. 2025;77(4):201-12. DOI: 10.31577/geogrcas.2025.77.4.03.
  29. Fernández JA, Carballeira A. Evaluation of contamination, by different elements, in terrestrial mosses. Archives Environ Contamin Toxicol. 2001;40(4):461-8. DOI: 10.1007/s002440010198.
  30. Tomlinson DL, Wilson JG, Harris CR, Jeffrey DW. Problems in the assessment of heavy-metal levels in estuaries and the formation of a pollution index. Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen. 1980;33(1):566-75. DOI: 10.1007/BF02414780.
  31. Kowalska JB, Mazurek R, Gąsiorek M, Zaleski T. Pollution indices as useful tools for the comprehensive evaluation of the degree of soil contamination - A review. Environ Geochem Health. 2018;40(6):2395-420. DOI: 10.1007/s10653-018-0106-z.
  32. Zhang C, Qiao Q, Piper JD, Huang B. Assessment of heavy metal pollution from a Fe-smelting plant in urban river sediments using environmental magnetic and geochemical methods. Environ Pollut. 2011;159(10):3057-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.04.006.
  33. Rehman I, Ishaq M, Ali L, Khan S, Ahmad I, Din IU, et al. Enrichment, spatial distribution of potential ecological and human health risk assessment via toxic metals in soil and surface water ingestion in the vicinity of Sewakht mines, district Chitral, Northern Pakistan. Ecotoxicol Environ Safety. 2018;154:127-36. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.02.033.
  34. Hakanson L. An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A sedimentological approach. Water Res. 1980;14(8):975-1001. DOI: 10.1016/0043-1354(80)90143-8.
  35. Malić N, Ilić P, Kurilić SM. Contamination, risk assessment and spatial distribution of harmful metals in soil near Stanari (B&H). Ecol Chem Eng. 2025;32(1):27-41. DOI: 10.2478/eces-2025-0002.
  36. Lecaj E, Serafimovski T, Paçarizi M. Risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in soil surrounding the Golesh ferronickel mine, Kosovo. Mining Mineral Deposits. 2025;19(4). DOI: 10.33271/mining19.04.139.
  37. Paçarizi M, Stafilov T, Šajn R, Tašev K, Sopaj F. Estimation of elements’ concentration in air in Kosovo through mosses as biomonitors. Atmosphere. 2021;12(4):415. DOI: 10.3390/atmos12040415.
  38. Balabanova B, Stafilov T, Šajn R, Bačeva K. Comparison of response of moss, lichens and attic dust to geology and atmospheric pollution from copper mine. International J Environ Sci Technol. 2014;11(2):517-28. DOI: 10.1007/s13762-013-0262-8.
  39. Rajfur M, Plášek V, Zinicovscaia I, Świsłowski P. Green sentinels in a changing climate: Moss biomonitoring reveals air pollution dynamics in New Zealand. Sci Total Environ. 2026;1011:181185. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181185.
  40. Chaligava O, Zinicovscaia I, Peshkova A, Yushin N, Frontasyeva M, Vergel K, et al. Major and trace airborne elements and ecological risk assessment: Georgia Moss Survey 2019-2023. Plants. 2024;13(23):3298. DOI: 10.3390/plants13233298.
  41. Kapusta P, Stanek M, Szarek-Łukaszewska G, Godzik B. Long-term moss monitoring of atmospheric deposition near a large steelworks reveals the growing importance of local non-industrial sources of pollution. Chemosphere. 2019;230:29-39. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.05.058.
  42. Ozyigit II, Gjergjizi Nallbani B, Yalcin IE, Demir G, Kasoglu G, Sakin B. detecting heavy metal pollution in an organized industrial zone: Soil-plant accumulation patterns in a medicinal plant (Calamintha nepeta subsp. glandulosa) and associated health and environmental risk implications. Toxics. 2026;14(1):89. DOI: 10.3390/toxics14010089.
  43. Al-Sabbagh TA, Shreaz S. Impact of lead pollution from vehicular traffic on highway-side grazing areas: challenges and mitigation policies. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025;22(2):311. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph22020311.
  44. Anwar A, Mezbah Uddin AH, Hasan MS, Parvez MS, Sipos B, Bibi D, et al. Assessment of anthropogenic activities impact based on metals in soil and tree leaves along roadside in Bangladesh. Scientific Reports. 2025;15(1):6960. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-91683-9.
  45. Olowoyo JO, Lion N, Unathi T, Oladeji OM. Concentrations of Pb and other associated elements in soil dust 15 years after the introduction of unleaded fuel and the human health implications in Pretoria, South Africa. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(16):10238. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610238.
  46. Chmielewski J, Wszelaczyńska E, Pobereżny J, Florek-Łuszczki M, Gworek B. Heavy metals in leafy vegetables and soft fruits from allotment gardens in the Warsaw agglomeration: health risk assessment. Sustainability. 2025;17(15):6666. DOI: 10.3390/su17156666.
  47. Long Z, Huang Y, Zhang W, Shi Z, Yu D, Chen Y, et al. Effect of different industrial activities on soil heavy metal pollution, ecological risk, and health risk. Environ Monitoring Assess. 2021;193(1):20. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-08807-z.
  48. Wei B, Jiang F, Li X, Mu S. Heavy metal induced ecological risk in the city of Urumqi, NW China. Environ Monitoring Assess. 2010;160(1):33-45. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-008-0655-1.
  49. Peng Y, Mi K, Qing F, Liu X, Liu L, Chen Q. Ecological risk assessment for key industrial development zones in the areas surrounding the Bo Sea in China. Human Ecol Risk Assess: Int J. 2016;22(2):475-88. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1080592.
  50. Hoek G, van Tongeren M, Röösli M, Jochems SH, Vilahur N, Albin, M, et al. European Code Against Cancer - outdoor and indoor air pollution and cancer. Molecular Oncol. 2026;20(1):81-95. DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.70184.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eces-2026-0010 | Journal eISSN: 2084-4549 | Journal ISSN: 1898-6196
Language: English
Page range: 173 - 188
Published on: Jul 14, 2026
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 2026 Majlinda Ramadani, Sonja Lepitkova, Visar Ismaili, Arlinda Cakaj, Valbon Bytyqi, Musaj Paçarizi, published by Society of Ecological Chemistry and Engineering
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.