MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS OF TRACE-ELEMENT DATA FROM MOSS SAMPLES USED TO MONITOR ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION

Data from a national survey of trace element atmospheric deposition in Norway comprising 26 elements in 512 moss samples were examined using principal component analysis with a VARIMAX rotation. Ten factors explaining 78.4% of the total variance were identified. The three dominant principal components represent long-range atmospheric transport of polluted aerosol to southern Norway (Pb, Sb, As, V, Cd, Se, Zn, Cr, Mo, Ag and Th), soil particles (Sc, Al, Na, Fe and Sm) and contribution from trace-element enriched marine aerosols (I, Br and Se). Furthermore components representing local and regiona; air pollution phenomena, specific geological components in the soil particle fraction, and factors related to specific uptake mechanisms in the moss are identified. © 1990.