Dynamic trends of heavy metal contents in plants and soil under different industrial air pollution regimes

Based on 30-year monitoring of Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ concentrations in the organic horizon of Albic Rustic Podzols and the foliage of six plant species, a dynamic trend in the level of heavy metal accumulation in the components of forest ecosystems of the Kola Peninsula has been revealed against the background of five- to eightfold reduction of pollutant emissions. The direction of the trend has been found to differ: the size of polluted area and pollution level increase with time, while the concentrations of heavy metals in plants decrease due to reduction in their input from the polluted air.     

Concentration of Heavy Metals in Dominant Moss Species as an Indicator of Aerial Technogenic Load

The concentrations of nickel and copper were determined in mosses Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi sampled in 1991 and 2011 at the same sites in the Lapland State Biosphere Reserve located in the impact area of atmospheric emissions from the Severonickel Smelter Combine (Monchegorsk, Murmansk Region, Russia). Both moss species have been confirmed to adequately reflect the levels of aerial technogenic load and can be used equally to monitor environmental pollution from heavy metals. It has been statistically proven that not only the volume of atmospheric emissions of polymetallic dust and the distance to the pollution source affect the concentrations of heavy metals in the studied moss species, but the wind rose and relief are also of importance.     

Migration of Heavy Metals from Polluted Soil to Plants and Lichens under Conditions of Field Experiment on the Kola Peninsula

Russian Journal of Ecology - We have carried out a field experiment to study the migration of Ni, Cu, and Co from the organic horizon of Al–Fe-humus podzols polluted with heavy metals (HMs)...