Influence of extreme pollution on the inorganic chemical composition of some plants

Leaves of nine different plant species (terrestrial moss: Hylocomium splend ens and Pleurozium schreberi, blueberry: Vaccinium myrtillus, cowberry: Vac cinium vitis-idaea, crowberry: Empetrum nigrum, birch: Betula pubescens, wi llow: Salix spp., pine: Pinus sylvestris, and spruce: Picea abies) have bee n collected from up to nine catchments (size 14-50 km(2)) spread over a 1,5 00,000 km(2) area in northern Europe. Additional soil samples were taken fr om the O-horizon and the C-horizon at each plant sample site. All samples w ere analysed for 38 elements (Ag, Al. As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu , Fe, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sri, Sr, Th, TI, U, V, Y, Zn, and Zr) by ICP-MS, lCP-AES or CV-AAS (Hg) techniques. One of the 9 catchments was located directly adjacent (5-10 km S) to the n ickel smelter and refinery at Monchegorsk, Kola Peninsula, Russia. The high levels of pollution at this site are reflected in the chemical composition of all plant leaves. However, it appears that each plant enriches (or excl udes) different elements. Elements emitted at trace levels, such as Ag, As and Bi, are relatively much more enriched in most plants than the major pol lutants Ni, Cu and Co. The very high levels Of SO2 emissions are generally not reflected by increases in plant total S-content. Several important macr o- (P) and micro-nutrients (Mn, Mg, and Zn) are depleted in most plant leav es collected near Monchegorsk. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights re served.