Investigation of airborne trace element pollution in Hai Phong city (Vietnam) using Barbula Indica moss and neutron activation analysis

This paper presents the results of the first observation of airborne trace elements using Barbula Indica moss in Hai Phong city, one of the two largest seaport cities in Vietnam. A total of 39 moss samples were collected at 39 different locations in January 2020 in Hai Phong. Neutron activation analysis method was used to analyze the concentration of 36 chemical elements in the collected moss samples and the obtained data were compared with the data obtained in other regions of Vietnam, China and Europe. The level of chemical elemental contamination in the air of Hai Phong was categorized and the possible sources of pollutant emissions were identified by applying principal component analysis.