Atmospheric air pollution of a mining town in the Kuzbass region by toxic metals

Abstract

The paper analyses the results of active biomonitoring of atmospheric air pollution in the mining town of the Kuzbass region by the most toxic metals. The epiphytic moss Pylaisia polyantha (Hedw.) B. S. G. was used as a bioindicators; determination of metal content in moss samples was carried out using neutron activation analysis and atomic emission spectrometry methods. Based on the results of the study, spatial distributions for pollution levels of the most toxic metals were plotted and their sources were identified.