Potentially toxic elements in the representatives of the genus Pinus l. and Quercus l. at the selected Slovak, Italian and Portuguese copper deposits

Abstract

The results of the potentially toxic elements imput to the representatives of the genus Pinus spp. and Quercus spp. at four selected closed Cu-deposits: Ľubietová (Slovakia), Libiola and Caporciano (Italy) a São Domingos (Portugal) are significantly complicated. The imput of the potentially toxic elements to the plants at mining areas in comparison with reference areas usually markedly differ. At the mining areas show the plants much more bioaccumulation of toxic elements into their organs. The bioavailability of individual toxic elements is mutable but in general relatively limited. Pinus spp. and Quercus spp. are for most elements excluders (bioconcentration factor BCF<1). Only Ag show extraordinary ability to high degree of bioconcentration. Also bioconcentration factor values in Pinus sp. at Ľubietová ore-field show high degree of Pb and Zn accumulation in studied plants. Zinc is in Pinus spp. and Quercus spp. accumulated in needles at all studied deposits. The translocation factor (TF) indicates that the other studied toxic elements are accumulated preferentially in roots. The studied plants are suitable only for phytostabilization of the potentially toxic elements.