PINE NEEDLES AS BIOINDICATOR OF POLLUTION BY TRACE ELEMENTS FROM CEMENT-LIMESTONE INDUSTRY IN CENTRALEASTERN POLAND, Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, August 2019, Vol. 14, No. 2, p. 541 - 549; DOI:10.26471/cjees/2019/014/102 - Carpathian Journal of Earth And Environmental Sciences

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Rafał KOZŁOWSKI¹, Mirosław SZWED^2* & Witold ŻUKOWSKI³

^1,2Jan Kochanowski University, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, ul. Świętokrzyska 15, 25-406 Kielce, Poland *Corresponding author: Department of Environmental Protection and Modelling, e-mail: mireneusz@interia.pl

³Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland

PINE NEEDLES AS BIOINDICATOR OF POLLUTION BY TRACE ELEMENTS FROM CEMENT-LIMESTONE INDUSTRY IN CENTRALEASTERN POLAND, Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, August 2019, Vol. 14, No. 2, p. 541 - 549; DOI:10.26471/cjees/2019/014/102

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This article presents the results of studies on the pollution of atmospheric air by trace elements in the area of the so-called “Białe Zagłębie” located in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. Bioindication studies involved two-year-old needles of Scots pine Pinus silvestris L., collected in 2016. Chemical analysis carried out at the Environmental Research Laboratory showed differences in pH and chemical composition of washed and unwashed needles. The largest differences in metal concentrations were found for Al - 95.33 mg. kg^-1 , Fe - 29.24 mg. kg^-1 and Zn - 4.25 mg. kg^-1 . Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the needles’ surface revealed changes resulting from pollution of stoma opening and closing by small solid particles of anthropogenic origins, mechanically disturbing a gas exchange. Analysis of the chemical composition showed that the largest share in the total weight of needle, apart from C and O, belonged to Pb, Si, Ca, Fe and Al.