ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Heavy Metals Accumulation in Soil and Plants
of Polish Peat Bogs
Jacek Borgulat1, Monika Mętrak2, Tomasz Staszewski1, Bogusław Wiłkomirski3, Małgorzata Suska-Malawska2
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1Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas, Kossutha 6, 40-844 Katowice, Poland
2Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw,
Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
3Department of Environmental Protection and Modeling, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce,
Świętokrzyska 15, 25-406 Kielce, Poland
Submission date: 2017-01-10
Final revision date: 2017-06-26
Acceptance date: 2017-07-11
Online publication date: 2018-01-15
Publication date: 2018-01-26
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2018;27(2):537-544
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ABSTRACT
Our study was carried out on three peat bogs that since the 1960s have been subjected to different degrees of anthropopression. The main objective of the research was assessment of heavy metal accumulation potential in peat bogs and in leaves of species growing on these peat bogs, namely Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), birch (Betula pendula Roth), and wild rosemary (Ledum palustre L.). The concentrations of lead and cadmium in peat of Bagno Bruch (the Upper Silesian Industrial Region) exceeded the permissible levels for soils of protected natural areas. Heavy metal concentrations in plants growing in all analyzed sites show no toxic levels. Among the examined species, birch showed the highest ability to accumulate cadmium and zinc.