The effect of industrial pollution on Zinc, Cadmium and Copper concentration in the xylem rings of Scot's pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and in the soil

The concentrations of heavy metals, including zinc, cadmium, and copper were studied in the xylem rings of Pinus sylvestris trees and in the soil of three heavily polluted sites and one non-polluted site. There was a high correlation between the concentration of heavy metals in the soil and recently produced xylem rings. However, the initiation of industrial pollution did not abruptly increase heavy metal concentrations in the xylem rings. There was a high correlation between the zinc content of trees growing near a zinc smelter and the values obtained by other investigators for pine trees growing on the same site.