Pine trees are used as biological indicators to assess environmental contamination by relating contaminant concentration in annual growth rings. The objective of the present study was to understand the inorganic elements including copper, manganese, chromium, lead, vanadium, nickel, zinc, arsenic, silver, cadmium, indium, tin and organic compounds viz. PCB congener concentrations in tree rings of pine trees from Western Kentucky. Pine tree core samples were collected from selected locations including industrial, national parks and undeveloped areas. Standard operating procedures were followed for tree core sampling and analysis using ICP-MS and GC-ECD. The results revealed that several elements and lower chlorinated PCB congeners were found in annual growth rings of pine trees. Tendency for increasing trends of chromium, copper, zinc and slight declining trends for lead and some PCB congeners were bserved.

Tracing the temporal trends of inorganic elements and polychlorinated biphenyls using annual growth rings of pine trees from western Kentucky, USA

246th National Meeting (2013)

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