MEDICINAL PLANTS AND THEIR SITES BY METAL CONTAMINATION IN THE AREA OF THE 'UMBRELLA EFFECT' AS EXEMPLIFIED BY LAGISZA POWER STATION (SILESIA, POLAND)

摘要

The work demonstrated the migration of Cr, Ni, Co, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe present in sites of common coltsfoot, common yarrow, stinging nettle growing within the scope of the direct influence of Lagisza Power Station (Silesia, Poland). The superior objective of the research was to determine the accumulation of metals in particular parts of medical plants (roots, leaves, stems, flowers) with reference to the bio-available resources of the investigated metals present in soil and the settled dust on the surface of leaves, as exemplified by sites at variable distances from the punctual emitter. The study included a speciation analysis of the investigated metals in soil according to Rudd, in the four geographical directions (N, S, E, W), in the function of distance from the power station: 50 m, 500 m, 1000 m, 3000 m, 5000 m. By means of this method the research determined the bio-availability of metals from soil to plants. The content of metals in soil and particular morphological parts of plants and in the settled dust (the soluble fraction) was measured by means of the atomic absorption spec-trometry method (AAS). The ecotoxicologic characteristic was defined for the chosen species of plants. An increase in the content of the chosen metals in the function of distance in particular species of plants was observed, as a result of the immission of thick particles of dust in the vicinity of the power station. The accumulation of particular metals was also determined by the plant species.