HEAVY METAL AIR POLLUTION STUDY IN THE CITY OF ANURADHAPURA

USING MOSS (HYOPHILA INVOLUTA) AS A BIOMONITOR DURING TWO

MONSOON SEASONS IN SRI LANKA

Atmospheric deposition of five heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd) using the moss
Hyophila involuta as a bioindicator was investigated in the city of Anuradhapura in the
north central province of Sri Lanka during two monsoon seasons namely northeast
monsoon (from December to February) and southwest monsoon (from mid-May to
September).
In this study the native moss species (Hyophila involuta) was collected from twenty two
sampling stations around the city of Anuradhapura. Sampling was carried out from
February 2013 to January 2014 for six months including the northeast monsoon season
(December, January and February) and the southwest monsoon season (June, July and
September). The heavy metal content of moss samples were analysed by Atomic
Absorption Spectrophotometry (GBC 932 plus).
The atmospheric deposition of heavy metal concentrations in all sampling stations is given
for dry weight of moss and the ranges of heavy metals in moss analysed in the city of
Anuradhapura during northeast monsoon season were Cu (3.83 µg/g – 22.70 µg/g), Pb
(0.20 µg/g – 36.38 µg/g), Ni (8.56 µg/g – 66.75 µg/g), Cr (4.90 µg/g – 45.06 µg/g) and Cd
(0.01 µg/g – 0.33 µg/g) while heavy metal concentration during southwest monsoon season
ranged as Cu (4.08 µg/g – 19.87 µg/g), Pb (0.30 µg/g – 21.43 µg/g), Ni (8.30 µg/g –
53.64 µg/g), Cr (2.90 µg/g – 25.96 µg/g) and Cd (0.08 µg/g – 0.56 µg/g). The background
level concentrations of Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd in the samples collected from Singharaja
rainforest area were 4.78 (± 0.16) µg/ g , 0.58 (± 0.04) µg/ g, 1.73 (± 0.04) µg/ g, 2.02 (±
0.24) µg/ g and 0.28 (± 0.04) µg/ g respectively.
However the detected concentrations of Cu, Ni and Cr in moss Hyophila involuta for all
sampling stations showed comparatively high concentrations than the background level.
According to the statistical analysis of medians (Mann-Whitney test , p <0.05), the
concentration of Cu, Pb, Ni and Cr showed significant differences between two monsoon
seasons and considerably higher values indicated during the northeast monsoon season
than the southwest monsoon season. Southwest monsoon rains are not effective over the
dry zone and the heavy metal accumulation in moss collected from the city of
Anuradhapura seems to be influenced by effect of northeast monsoon season.

Keywords: heavy metals, atmospheric deposition, biomonitoring, moss.