Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the concentrations of selected trace elements in needles and bark of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), leaves and bark of silver birch (Betula pendula L.), and Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.), as well as in the soil in which the trees grew, depending on their localization and hence the distribution of local pollution sources. The content of trace elements in needles of Scots pine, leaves of silver birch, and Norway maple and in bark of these trees depended on the location, tree species, and analyzed organ. The content of Fe, Mn, and Zn in needles, leaves, and bark of the examined tree species was significantly higher than that of the other elements. The highest average content of Fe and Mn was detected in leaves of Norway maple whereas the highest average content of Zn was found in silver birch leaves. The impact of such locations as the center of Olsztyn or roadside along Road 51 on the content of individual elements tended to be more pronounced than the influence of the other locations. The influence of the sampling sites on the content of trace elements in tree bark was less regular than the analogous effect in needles and leaves. Moreover, the relevant dependences were slightly different for Scots pine than for the other two tree species. The concentrations of heavy metals determined in the soil samples did not exceed the threshold values set in the Regulation of the Minister for the Environment, although the soil along Road 51 and in the center of Olsztyn typically had the highest content of these elements. There were also significant correlations between the content of some trace elements in soil and their accumulation in needles, leaves, and bark of trees.
Highlights
For countless centuries in the past, environmental pollution had originated from natural sources
The research demonstrated that the content of lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, and cobalt in needles of Scots pine and in leaves of silver birch and Norway maple as well as in the bark of
The average content of manganese and zinc in needles and leaves of the analyzed trees was much higher than in their bark (Figs. 2 and 3) A reverse tendency emerged for copper and iron, while the concentrations of the remaining elements were similar in both organs
Summary
For countless centuries in the past, environmental pollution had originated from natural sources. As civilizations began to emerge and grow, anthropogenic pollutants played an increasingly important role These include heavy metals, which are mostly generated by such industries as mining and metallurgy, and waste processing, energy generation, combustion of fuels in transport, agriculture (plant protection chemicals, mineral, and organic fertilizers), and by households (Alagić et al 2013, Kopponen et al 2001, Sawidis et al 2011, Staszewski et al 2012). The spatial management of towns should envisage tree planting for esthetic, climatic, and health-related reasons (Kozik et al 2014)
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