Elemental Composition of the Leaves of the Hanging Birch (<i>Betula pendula</i> Roth) in the Area of the Transbaikalia Gold Deposit

Abstract

The influence of gold mining on the concentration of chemical elements in Betula pendula Roth leaves was studied. The intensity of absorption by the plant of a number of chemical elements, the possibility of using birch as a medicinal and forage plant, as well as for monitoring habitat changes were investigated. The study was conducted in plant communities located at production facilities and natural habitats in the area of the Baley gold deposit: tailings dumps of gold recovery factories (ZIF-1 and ZIF-2), a drainage landfill, a dump of the SredneGolgotai gold deposit, a tailings dump after processing monocytes, as well as in natural plant communities located in the vicinity of Baley at 13 trial sites in 2008, 2008 and 2021. The concentrations of elements in the leaves were arranged in descending order in the following sequence: Ca Mg P Mn Fe Zn Na Ba B Cr Ni As Cu Mo Sb Pb Co Li V Cd Bi Se Be. With respect to the clark of terrestrial plants, the concentrations of the elements were in the following order: Cr As Sb Li Ni Ba Fe Mo Bi Co Zn Mg Clark Mn P Ca Cu B Pb Se Cd V Be Na. The absorption of As at production facilities exceeded the norm established for medicinal plant raw materials. The use of branch feed in a number of areas is not allowed due to the high level of Zn, Fe, Sb, Ni, Cr, Co, As, Cd. A relatively high coefficient of biological absorption by birch leaves Zn, Mn, P, Ca, Mg was obtained.