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A Comparative Study on Macro- and Microelement Bioaccumulation Properties of Leaves and Bark of Quercus petraea and Pinus sylvestris

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Abstract

Trees are widely used for biomonitoring and filtering air in industrial, urban, and rural areas. This research was undertaken to examine accumulation capacities of macroelements (Ca, K, Mg, Na) and trace metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in needles and bark of Pinus sylvestris and leaves and bark of Quercus petraea growing in the vicinity of the chlor-alkali plant PCC Rokita in Brzeg Dolny (Lower Silesia, SW Poland). Because Scots pine is well studied and considered a useful bioindicator, we have used this species as a base for comparison of the accumulation ability of sessile oak that shows some features of good bioindicator, but whose biogeochemistry was scarcely studied. Results showed that for both species leaves contained more macroelements (Ca, K, Mg), whereas the bark was richer in most trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Pb). However, trees studied differed with respect to element content. Oak bark and leaves were more effective in accumulating macro- and trace elements (bark Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb and leaves Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Ni) than Scots pine tissues. Nevertheless, foliar metal accumulation index of these species was similar, suggesting that their overall ability to accumulate trace metals was similar.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, Biogeochemistry and Environmental Protection, University of Wrocław, ul. Kanonia 6/8, 50-328, Wrocław, Poland

    Agnieszka Klink, Ludmiła Polechońska, Małgorzata Dambiec & Kamila Białas

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  1. Ludmiła Polechońska
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  2. Małgorzata Dambiec
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  3. Kamila Białas
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Correspondence to Agnieszka Klink.

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Klink, A., Polechońska, L., Dambiec, M. et al. A Comparative Study on Macro- and Microelement Bioaccumulation Properties of Leaves and Bark of Quercus petraea and Pinus sylvestris . Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 74, 71–79 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-017-0439-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-017-0439-0

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