Integrative evaluation of heavy metals concentrations in atmospheric deposition and biomonitors

This paper aims at evaluating heavy metals (HM) concentrations in modelled atmospheric deposition and biomonitors. The model LOTOS-EUROS (LE) yielded data on HM deposition at a spatial resolution of 25 km by 25 km throughout Europe. The European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) provided model calculations on 50 km by 50 km grids. Corresponding data on HM concentration in moss, leaves, needles and soil were derived from the European Moss Survey (EMS), the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) and the International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests). The modelled HM deposition and respective concentrations in moss (EMS), leaves and needles (ESB, ICP Forests) and soil (ICP Forests) were investigated for their statistical relationships. Regression equations were applied on geostatistical surface estimations of HM concentration in moss and then the residuals were interpolated by use of Kriging interpolation. Both maps were summed up to a map of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) deposition across Germany. Biomonitoring data were stronger correlated to LE than to EMEP. For HM concentrations in moss, highest correlations were found between geostatistical surface estimations of HM concentration in moss and deposition (LE).