Monitoring of heavy metals uptake and allocation in Pinus sylvestris organs in alkalised soil

The concentration of heavy metals in soil and in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) organs growing on a pH gradient from 4.0 to 7.9 of soil at different distances from a cement plant was monitored. Emission for over 40 years of alkaline dust (pH 12.3-12.6) into the atmosphere in North Estonia had resulted in alkalisation and elevated concentration of total heavy metals in upper layers of the soil (0-30 cm), which was considerable even 10 years after the dust pollution stopped. Monitoring showed that the accumulation and allocation of heavy metals varied between the stem, shoots and needles and differed from the trees in the unpolluted area, depending more on the mobility of elements and the pH than element concentrations in the alkaline soil. A strong negative correlation was found between the soil pH and Mn, Zn and Cd concentrations in different tree organs. Compared to the unpolluted area, Pb was present in relatively higher concentrations in all organs but Cr, Fe and Cu in needles and shoots. The concentrations of Mn and Cd were much lower than control in all organs of trees in alkalised soil. The height increment and density of needles on shoots were predominantly in negative correlation with the pH of soil. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011.