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Abstract: Monitoring toxic elements has a long tradition in Slovenia due to historical mining. More recently, attention has shifted to essential elements, since both deficiencies and excesses can harm health. Regular monitoring of (non-)essential elements supports risk assessment and policymaking. While urine and blood are common biomonitoring matrices, hair offers a non-invasive alternative that reflects exposure over several months, though standardised methodologies for hair analysis remain limited. This study aimed to develop and validate a sensitive and robust analytical method for the determination of 29 elements in human hair, addressing key challenges in sample preparation and contamination control. We developed a sensitive and robust method for the determination of 29 elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, U, V, and Zn) in 3 cm segments of human hair that involves a washing procedure with acetone and Milli-Q water, microwave digestion with 65% HNO3, and analysis with Triple Quadrupole Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS). Evaluation of preparation steps revealed stainless-steel scissors as a major contamination source. Glass digestion vessels were unsuitable for several elements due to high detection limits and relative standard deviations. The optimised method reduced analytical variability and improved sensitivity compared to published protocols. This validated method enables reproducible multi-elemental analysis in hair, highlights overlooked contamination risks, and is now applied in human biomonitoring studies to strengthen exposure assessment and standardisation efforts.
Keywords: determination of elements, optimization, human biomonitoring
Published in DiRROS: 27.01.2026; Views: 322; Downloads: 207
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Abstract: Moss biomonitoring was conducted in 2002, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 to evaluate atmospheric mercury (Hg) deposition across N. Macedonia as part of a comprehensive survey of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). More than 70 samples of the dominant moss species Hypnum cupressiforme and Homalothecium lutescens were collected during the summer field campaigns. Mercury concentrations were determined using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results revealed marked temporal fluctuations: median Hg content increased from 56 μg/kg in 2002 to 68 μg/kg in 2005, peaked at 93 μg/kg in 2010, then decreased to 84 μg/kg in 2015, and further to 52 μg/kg in 2020. Over the study period, Hg concentrations ranged from 10 to 595 μg/kg, with the highest variability observed in 2010. Spatial distribution maps and regional comparisons indicate that elevated Hg contents correspond predominantly to anthropogenic sources, particularly in industrialised zones and regions affected by mining and metallurgical activities. The 2020 dataset shows a significantly lower median value (52 μg/kg) compared to previous surveys, indicating a slight improvement in air quality, although local hotspots persist. These results highlight the importance of long-term moss biomonitoring as a cost-effective approach for tracking atmospheric mercury trends and informing national environmental policy.
Keywords: atmospheric mercury, moss biomonitoring, potentially toxic elements, ICP-MS, North Macedonia
Published in DiRROS: 09.01.2026; Views: 563; Downloads: 262
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Abstract: This study examined the nitrogen content in moss samples collected across Macedonia over a 15-year period (2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020) from 72 consistent sampling locations. The nitrogen content was determined using the Kjeldahl method, providing insight into the trends of atmospheric nitrogen deposition across different regions. Descriptive statistical analyses, including spatial distribution maps, were used to compare the temporal variations and regional nitrogen levels. In addition, box-plots (P25–P75) and whiskers (P5–P95) were constructed to provide a comprehensive view of the variability across different tectonic units and zones, allowing for an in-depth understanding of the spatial distribution of nitrogen across the country. The study revealed that the median nitrogen content in moss samples decreased from 1.21% in 2005 to 1.04% in 2015, followed by a slight increase to 1.07% in 2020. The highest nitrogen concentrations were consistently found in areas with heavy agricultural activities and high traffic volumes, indicating the direct impact of these anthropogenic factors. The comparisons across regions and geological zones also highlighted the substantial variation in nitrogen levels, reflecting the diverse environmental pressures in different parts of Macedonia. This long-term analysis not only offers valuable insights into the trends in nitrogen pollution but also underlines the necessity for targeted policy interventions, particularly in the regions where nitrogen levels remain persistently high.
Keywords: nitrogen, air pollution, moss biomonitoring, Kjeldahl method, Macedonia
Published in DiRROS: 20.06.2025; Views: 789; Downloads: 304
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Abstract: DNA metabarcoding of benthic diatoms has been successfully applied for biomonitoring at the national scale and can now be considered technically ready for routine application. However, protocols and methods still vary between and within countries, limiting their transferability and the comparability of results. In order to overcome this, routine use of DNA metabarcoding for diatom biomonitoring requires knowledge of the sources of variability introduced by the different steps of the procedure. Here, we examine how elements of routine procedures contribute to variability between European laboratories. A set of four experiments were performed focusing on DNA extraction and PCR amplification steps to evaluate their reproducibility between different laboratories and the variability introduced by different protocols currently applied by the scientific community. Under the guidance of a reference laboratory, 17 participants from 14 countries performed DNA extraction and PCR amplification in parallel, using the same fixed protocol and their own choice of protocol. Experiments were performed by each participant on a set of standardised DNA and biofilm samples (river, lake and mock community) to investigate potential systematic and random errors. Our results revealed the successful transferability of a protocol amongst labs and a highly similar and consistent ecological assessment outcome obtained regardless of the protocols used by each participant. We propose an “all for one but prove them all” strategy, suggesting that distinct protocols can be used within the scientific community, as long as their consistency is be proven by following minimum standard requirements.
Keywords: cross-laboratory experiment, DNA-based approach, ecological status assessment, intercalibration, standardisation, environmental science, biomonitoring, DNA metabarcoding, benthic diatoms
Published in DiRROS: 17.01.2025; Views: 873; Downloads: 748
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Abstract: The chemical industry is the leading sector in the EU in terms of added value. However, contaminants pose a major threat and significant costs to the environment and human health. While EU legislation and international conventions aim to reduce this threat, regulators struggle to assess and manage chemical risks, given the vast number of substances involved and the lack of data on exposure and hazards. The European Green Deal sets a ‘zero pollution ambition for a toxic free environment’ by 2050 and the EU Chemicals Strategy calls for increased monitoring of chemicals in the environment. Monitoring of contaminants in biota can, inter alia: provide regulators with early warning of bioaccumulation problems with chemicals of emerging concern; trigger risk assessment of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances; enable risk assessment of chemical mixtures in biota; enable risk assessment of mixtures; and enable assessment of the effectiveness of risk management measures and of chemicals regulations overall. A number of these purposes are to be addressed under the recently launched European Partnership for Risk Assessment of Chemicals (PARC). Apex predators are of particular value to biomonitoring. Securing sufficient data at European scale implies large-scale, long-term monitoring and a steady supply of large numbers of fresh apex predator tissue samples from across Europe. Natural science collections are very well-placed to supply these. Pan-European monitoring requires effective coordination among field organisations, collections and analytical laboratories for the flow of required specimens, processing and storage of specimens and tissue samples, contaminant analyses delivering pan-European data sets, and provision of specimen and population contextual data. Collections are well-placed to coordinate this. The COST Action European Raptor Biomonitoring Facility provides a well-developed model showing how this can work, integrating a European Raptor Biomonitoring Scheme, Specimen Bank and Sampling Programme. Simultaneously, the EU-funded LIFE APEX has demonstrated a range of regulatory applications using cutting-edge analytical techniques. PARC plans to make best use of such sampling and biomonitoring programmes. Collections are poised to play a critical role in supporting PARC objectives and thereby contribute to delivery of the EU’s zero-pollution ambition.
Keywords: zero pollution, biomonitoring, chemicals of emerging concern, Apex predator, raptor, marine mammal, otter
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 1190; Downloads: 872
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