Natural Environment Monitoring, 2009, No 10, pp.19-28
MODIFICATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS CONCENTRATION IN PRECIPITATION BY FOREST TREES AT PUSZCZA BORECKA
Anna Degórska, Stanisława Górska
Summary
The aim of the study was comparison of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content in the precipitation, throughfall and stemflow at Puszcza Borecka. Based on the results of these measurement it can be noticed:
- the course of concentration and deposition for all the compounds were similar;
- at part of the precipitation samples PAHs concentrations were higher than in corresponding througfall samples, but at part the relationship was opposite; modification of PAHs content in precipitation after going through the forest was in some cases caused by washing off the PAHs from the leafs and in some other cases by stopping them in the leafs;
- the highest PAHs concentrations have been observed in the samples of hornbeam stemflow that might be caused by the washing off the cork; this process didn’t occur or was much less intensive in case of oak and particularly – spruce.
It has to be underlined that the research of PAHs content in precipitation at open space and at the forest have been conducted during relatively short period so the conclusions cannot be too strong. It would be good to continue such investigations in cold season but it would be very difficult from the technical point of view.
