Effect of the Industry-Related Air Pollution on the Accumulation of Heavy Metals in the Pine Needles in the Basin of the Selenga River

The concentrations of heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead, copper and zinc) in needles of Pinus sylvestris growing at the polluted and background territories of the basin of the Selenga River are investigated. The dependence between the metal content of needles and the soil is shown. Using the concentration coefficients for different pollution zones, the rows of metal accumulation in pine needles are arranged; they depict the level of the emission load on forests. In the zone of strong pollution, the highest correlations between the concentrations of lead and cadmium in needles and the morphometric parameters of trees are detected.