The presence of selected elements in the microscopic image of pine needles as an effect of cement and lime pressure within the region of Białe Zagłębie (Central Europe)

Abstract

In this study, we present the results of microscopic observations of pine needles Pinus sylvestris L. collected in the area of cement-lime pressure in the south-western part of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains in the region of Białe Zagłębie. Images of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirm the presence of particles with a size of about 2 to 20 µm on the surface of the needles. Analysis using X-ray energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) allowed, in turn, to identify lead, iron, aluminium, calcium, and silicon in particles deposited in the surface layer of assimilation organs and dispersed in the surface layer of vegetation tissue within cell structures. Chemical composition, size and shape of particles of foreign bodies on the needles’ surface allow them to be identified as cement-lime dust coming from production plants located in the Białe Zagłębie. Negative influence on the condition and liveliness of Scots pine in the study area is manifested by images on which stomata is sealed, which limits the possibility of gas exchange.