PAH concentrations in the moss species Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) BSG and Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt. from the Kielce area (south-central Poland)

Forty eight samples of mosses Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi from the Kielce area (south-central Poland) were analyzed for seventeen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The PAH concentrations varied from 558.00 mu g/kg (ppb) to 4457.00 mu g/kg in H. splendens and from 643.00 to 3086.00 mu g/kg in P. schreberi. In both moss species phenanthrene (75.00-732.00 mu g/kg), fluoranthene (101.00-577.00 mu g/kg) and pyrene (68.00-568.00 mu g/kg) predominated, but H. splendens accumulated more PAHs than P. schreberi at eighteen different sites. The highest PAH concentrations were noted at sites located close to the housing estates (sites 1-10) and potential emission sources (e.g. heat and power generating plant Kielce S.A.) (sites 19-21). The moss samples displayed the diverse ring sequence, but the most prevalent was four > five > three > six. The diagnostic ratios (three + four ring/total PAHs, Flu/Py, Phen/Ant, Phen/Phen+Ant, Flu/Flu + Py, IndPy/IndPy+BghiPe and BaA/BaA+Chr) indicated that coal and petroleum combustion was a principal PAH source in the study area. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.