Determination Of Potentially Toxic Elements İn Moss Bags Exposed To Urban Atmospheric Deposition: A Case Study Of Çanakkale, Türkiye

This study aims to evaluate seasonal atmospheric PTE accumulation at four urban sampling stations in Çanakkale city centre using the Moss Bag technique. Samples of the Alleniella complanata species, used as a bioindicator, were exposed for 45 days at four stations at seasonal intervals. Following exposure, the PTE accumulated in the bags was analysed using an ICP-OES instrument and evaluated using the CF, PLI, and RAF pollution indices. Seasonal differences were identified using Friedman's test, relationships between metals were identified using Spearman's correlation test, and common variance structures and possible source patterns were identified using PCA. The results showed that PTE concentrations after exposure significantly exceeded the initial levels and varied depending on the metal type, seasonal periods, and sampling points. The Friedman test showed that Cr, Zn, Pb, and As metals showed statistically significant differences between seasons, while no significant seasonal change was found for Cu. RAF > 1 values indicated that Alleniella complanata has effective bioindicator potential. CF values generally indicated ‘medium to high contamination (1 ≤ CF < 3)’ levels. PLI > 1 values revealed the seasonal cumulative metal load. Spearman correlation identified a significant negative relationship between Cr–Pb and significant positive relationships between Cr–As and Pb–Cu pairs. Two PCA components explained 83.9% of the total variance; PC1 showed a high positive loading with As and Cr, while PC2 showed a high positive loading with Zn and Cu, indicating a common anthropogenic source for these metals.