Average tin contents in the plants of the Southern Russian Far East

Abstract

All test sites for biogeochemical exploration were located in the zone of coniferous and broadleaved forests (4), which allowed the comparison of tin absorption by plants in the areas localized in the same landscape-climatic conditions of the Southern Rus� sian Far East. Plants for biogeochemical prospecting were sampled using conventional technique (5) along the profile grid from 10 x 20 to 20 x 40 m depending on the thickness of ore veins and deposits. In each sam� pling point (conditional quadrant 5 x 5 m), organs and parts of all plants were taken separately if possible: leaves (needles), branches, wood, and bark for trees; leaves, branches, trunk, and roots for shrubs; and the aboveground parts for grass and moss. Samples were airdried state and burned to a white ash in the labora� tory conditions in muffle furnace at temperature of 450°С. The tin content in sample ash was determined by atomic absorption and emission spectral analyses with sensitivity of 0.0001 wt % for tin and error of 5.0%. Obtained analytical results (figure) showed that elevated tin contents were found in ashes of plants from the areas containing tin mineralization, while the same plant species beyond the ore bodies (at the flanks of mineralization) have background tin contents (0.001 wt %). In the barren test areas (the complete absence of mineralization), the tin content in the plant