Accumulation and migration of elements-pollutants in “soil-plant” system within urban territory

Abstract

In the urbanized territory (the Irkutsk city), the content of sulfur and heavy metals (lead, cadmium, copper, zinc) in soil profile horizons and leaves (needles) arboreal plants were studied. High accumulation of polluting elements in pine and larch needles, birch and poplar leaves, as well as in all genetic horizons of the city soils was shown. There were revealed elements disbalance in city trees assimilation organs showing in the increase of the polluting elements quota with the parallel decrease of the quota of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese. Pollutants concentration in trees needles (leaves) was shown to be closely related to their content in soil horizons. The results speak in favor of high migration ability of polluting elements in soil profile and about possibility their entrance in trees root system and further to assimilation organs from all city soils horizons. It can be concluded that data on accumulation and migration of polluting elements in soils and arboreal trees assimilation organs contribute to adequate assessment of technogenic load on urban ecosystems.