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The objective of this study was to determine the mineral content in the leaves and flowers of wild-grown Sambucus nigra collected from eleven different locations in Kosovo. The samples were digested in a microwave system using the wet digestion method. The minerals were determined by the application of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A total of 31 elements were determined, 15 elements by the ICP-AES method (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Sr, V, and Zn) and 16 elements by the ICP-MS method (Ag, As, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Ga, Hg, In, Li, Ni, Pb, Rb, Tl, and U). The leaves of S. nigra show a higher content of minerals compared to the flowers, except for the flower of the sample SN-FL10, which is characterized by a high concentration of Fe, Al, Pb, Be, and Tl. The concentration of heavy metals and toxic elements (Pb, Cd, and Hg) was within the permissible concentrations according to Eur. Ph.

This study was conducted on the distribution of manganese content in the soils of the city of Mitrovica and its surroundings in Kosovo. A total of 156 topsoil samples were taken in the entire study region (sampling grid of 1.4 × 1.4 km2). The average Mn content of the entire study area is 1600 mg/kg (range 170–17000 mg/kg), which is 4.2 times higher than the EU average and 3.3 times higher than the global average. The spatial distribution maps show that the higher Mn contents occur mainly in soils from Miocene latite as well as quartz-latite and from Triassic volcanic-sedimentary formations in the eastern and north-eastern part of the study area. The lower values were found in the Flysch and Cretaceous flysch outcrops. It was found that the increased Mn contents in soils from this area are mostly of lithogenic origin. The values of the enrichment factor (EF) show that the soils of the entire study area are very highly enriched with Mn (20 < EF < 40). The values of the geo-accumulation index (1< I-geo ≤ 2), show that the soils of the entire study area are moderately contaminated with Mn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of lanthanum, thorium, and uranium content in soils from the Mitrovica region in the Republic of Kosovo. For this purpose, 156 samples of topsoil (0–5 cm) were considered in a sampling network of 1.4 × 1.4 km2. The soil samples were prepared using the aqua regia digestion method and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The contents of La, Th, and U in the soil of the study area were determined to be 19, 4.8, and 0.84 mg/kg, respectively. The enrichment factor values for La, Th, and U ranged from 3.8 to 7.9, 3.2 to 7.0, and 2.0 to 7.0, respectively, indicating moderate to substantial enrichment. The geo‐accumulation index values of all elements were less than zero, indicating uncontaminated levels. The spatial distribution patterns of La, Th, and U content showed that the values are elevated in the north‐eastern and western parts of the study area, where Miocene latites and quartz latites predominate (average contents of 35, 2.4, and 2.1 mg/kg, respectively). These areas are located in rural areas, suggesting that the high La, Th, and U contents in the soil are related to the lithology of the study area and there is no influence of possible anthropogenic sources. This study contributes to the database of La, Th, and U contents in the soils of the Mitrovica region and allows an assessment of the relationship between geochemistry and ecosystem health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish the radioactivity level of soils and assess the associated radiological impact on residents, 58 samples from the town of Bitola and its environs were collected. After conducting gross alpha and gross beta measurements with a gas-flow proportional counter as a preliminary screening test, subsequent gamma-spectrometry measurements reveal the presence of 40K, 226Ra, 232Th, and 137Cs in the soil samples as radionuclides with the highest impact. The absorbed gamma dose rate, the annual effective dose, radium equivalent activity, external hazard index, gamma index, excess lifetime cancer risk, and annual gonadal dose were calculated using the obtained activity concentrations of the radionuclides. Upon comparison with similar studies conducted in the Balkan countries, the obtained results for radiation hazard indices were found to be the highest in the region. Coloured maps were generated to visually represent the spatial distribution of the absorbed gamma dose rate in air and annual effective dose, clearly indicating the combined influence of geology and human activities, including the nearby thermoelectric power plant operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article considers the following aspects: naturally distributed chemical elements and their enrichments, and the increased occurrence of PTEs due to anthropogenic and urban activities, as well as due to the geochemical uniqueness of certain geochemical landscapes, depending on the lithological environment. The review article is the result of many years of successful cooperation between the Geological Survey of Slovenia and the Faculty of Natural Sciences in Skopje, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, as well as several other institutions from North Macedonia, Russia and Romania but, also, through the voluntary and enthusiastic work of Prof. Trajče Stafilov's PhD and Master's students. To create the Geochemical Atlas, the territory of North Macedonia was covered with 995 sampling locations, but 16 separate areas with soil contamination were additionally sampled. The total sum of all collected soil samples was 3983 from 2449 different sampling sites in the period from 2006 to 2017. The analyses were performed at the Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences in Skopje, at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia, at the Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation (ICIA), Cluj-Napoca, Romania, at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Moscow Region, Russia, and at Acme Labs in Vancouver, Canada. The sum of all analysed soil samples in all four mentioned laboratories was 7991 from 2006 to 2017. Using advanced mathematical methods such as multivariate statistical methods (HCA, FA, PCA) and artificial neural networks–multilayer perceptron (ANN-MP), predictions were made about the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and their distribution in real space. In less than two decades (2007–2023) of fruitful collaboration, a large number of scientific works have been published: 188 scientific publications, 8 geochemical atlases and 23 chapters in monographs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents the results on the spatial distribution and concentration of different chemical elements in the topsoil (0–5 cm) and the subsoil (20–30 cm), focusing on the identification of natural and anthropogenic sources of elements at 99 locations and 198 samples throughout the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. The samples were digested with acid mixture in Teflon vessels and the technique of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied for the analysis of 20 elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, V and Zn). The multivariate statistical method was employed for the statistical processing of the data using cluster and factor analysis. Four groups of elements were identified, three of which were with geogenic factors: (Co, Cr, Ni, Fe, Mg), (Ba, K, Na, V), (Al, Ca, Sr) and one with local enrichment tendencies (anthropogenic origin) (Pb, Zn). The data obtained show natural presence of the analyzed elements and low concentration of heavy metals in the entire territory of Kosovo, with the exception of some areas where higher levels of concentration are shown as a result of the influence of the anthropogenic factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to investigate air deposition and to explore the natural or anthropogenic sources of contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the region of Polog, North Macedonia, using moss samples as biomonitors of air pollution. The distribution of 22 elements was detected in 43 moss samples collected in the region. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied to the available data. Factor analysis identified five association factors, of which four factors, F1 (Cr, Li, V, Co, Fe, Al, Ni, and As), F2 (K, P, and Mg), F4 (Ag and Cu), and F5 (Ba, Sr, and Mn) were related to lithogenic sources and one factor F3 (Hg, Pb, Cd, and Zn) was related to mixed lithogenic and anthropogenic sources. The content of the elements of F1 is higher in the areas on Mount Šar (area without industrial and urban activities), where Precambrian and Paleozoic shales and Paleozoic sandstones predominate, indicating that their origin is mainly a natural phenomenon. The high contents of the elements from F2, F4, and F5 are also related to the lithology of the studied region. Thus, the high contents of elements from F2 are distributed in the western part of the area, where Precambrian and Paleozoic shists and Paleozoic sandstones dominate, and their contents correlate well with the contents of lithogenic elements in the soil samples from the same region. Elements of Factor 4 have higher contents in the southern part of the region, in areas with Paleozoic‐Mesozoic carbonates and Precambrian‐Paleozoic shales, while elements of Factor 5 occur in the regions with shales, Quaternary sedimentary rocks, and Precambrian‐Paleozoic shales, also indicating the lithogenic character of this factor. In addition to the lithogenic origin of the distribution of elements contained in F3 (Hg, Pb, Cd, and Zn), anthropogenic activities also have an influence on the increased content in the northeastern part of the region. This is due to dust emissions from the Silmak ferrosilicon smelter, as well as emissions from industry (steel smelters) and urban activities of the nearby capital Skopje. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was carried out to define the distribution of mercury in surface soils in the Mitrovica region, Republic of Kosovo and to assess the level and extent of contamination. A total of 156 soil samples were collected from a depth of 5 cm at each grid point of 1.4 × 1.4 km in an area of 301.5 km2. The mercury content was found to be between 0.02 mg/kg and 11.16 mg/kg. The average Hg content (0.49 mg/kg) exceeded the mean content in European (0.037 mg/kg) and world (0.06 mg/kg) soils by 13.2 and 8.2 times, respectively. From the calculated enrichment factors (EF) and the geo-accumulation index (I-geo), as well as from the distribution map of Hg content, it is evident that the soils of the study area are highly contaminated with mercury, with extremely high enrichment of Hg in the soils of Zone I, which was classified as the most contaminated zone with Hg and other potentially toxic elements in the study area as well as in the towns of Zveçan and Mitrovica. The higher Hg content is of anthropogenic origin, mainly due to lead and zinc mining and metallurgical activities in the study area. The mercury levels were also found to exceed the New Dutch List target value (0.3 mg/kg) in 90 km2 of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the atmospheric deposition of trace elements investigated in Albania, Croatia and Macedonia in 2010 as part of the European Moss Study. This study provides data on the concentration of ten metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn, Fe, Al, and Li) in naturally growing mosses. In general, all concentration data follow a lognormal distribution. Cd, Cr, Ni, and Zn show strong fluctuations in the moss samples from Albania and Macedonia, and Pb, Fe, and Al in the mosses from Croatia. The concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Zn were higher in the samples from Croatia than in those from Albania and Macedonia; the concentrations of Cr, Ni, V, Fe, Al, and Li were higher in the samples from Albania than in those from Croatia and Macedonia; and a higher concentration of Pb was found in the samples from Macedonia. The observed relationship between the concentration of lithogenic elements (Al, Fe, and V) and the air quality index (AQI) confirms that moss species have a high capacity to retain atmospheric deposition particles. The anthropogenic emission sources of these elements from local and long-range transport were considered to be the most important factors affecting air quality in the studied areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a geochemical investigation of an anthropogenic group of metals (Ag, Au, Bi, Cu, and Mo) in the surface of the Mitrovica region, Republic of Kosovo. In order to determine their content and to evaluate the contamination level, 156 topsoil samples were collected in an area of 301.5 km2. The content of elements was determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the average content of Cu (42 mg/kg), Bi (1.5 mg/kg), Ag (0.44 mg/kg), and Au (2.7 μg/kg) exceeded their average content in European and world soils by 3.4 and 1.4 times; 3.0 and 7.5 times; 1.62 and 8.8 times and 2.7 and 1.8 times, respectively. The average Mo content (0.68 mg/kg) exceeded the average content in European soils by 1.09 times, while the average content in world soil was not exceeded. Copper levels exceeded the Dutch target value of 36 mg/kg in 152 km2 and the Dutch action value of 190 mg/kg in 6.2 km2 of the study area. The enrichment factor and geo-accumulation index values for the analysed elements indicate that their higher content is of anthropogenic origin, mainly due to lead and zinc mining and metallurgical activities in the study area. The quality of soils in the Mitrovica region varies from highly contaminated with copper and bismuth, with extremely high enrichment of Cu, Bi and Ag in the soils of the central zone (Zone I) and the urban soils of the cities of Zveçan and Mitrovica. Therefore, the establishment of a monitoring and treatment programme for contaminated soils in this zone would be necessary to protect human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]