Determining organic compound ratios in soils and vegetation of the Holy Cross Mts, Poland

Abstract

The objectives of this investigation in the Holy Cross Mountain region of Poland were (1) to establish organic-concentration baselines, and (2) (if possible) to determine spatial distribution pattern of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in topsoil. These objections were accomplished using an unbalanced, nested analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) barbell sampling design. Samples of topsoil (horizon A), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) needles and lichen thalii Hypogymnia physodes(L.) Nyl. were collected for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinatedbiphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides and phenols. Of these four organic groups, PAHs was detected in topsoil of nearly all investigation sites. Their total content ranged from 4.43 to 1905.83 gk g 1 , exceeding at some places that assessed for unpolluted cultivated soils of Poland. The results of organic compound determinations performed on soils and vegetation from the Holy Cross Mountain region showed that some concentrations of compounds were elevated probably due to air pollution. Nonetheless, some portions of them, especially phenols, might have been products of metabolic activity. Topsoil, Scots pine and partly lichens of Eysica Mt. revealed the highest concentrations of PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides. The content of PCBs in lichens of the study region was somewhat higher than in Lapland.