Wpływ zanieczyszczeń przemysłowych na zawartość olejków eterycznych i witaminy C w cetynie i igliwiu sosny zwyczajnej

The paper concerns the impact of air pollution on the content of essential oils in Scots pine twigs and vitamin C in Scots pine needles. The material used for examination of essential oils content was obtained from two locations: area within the former Aluminium Smelter in Skawina, the other sample was collected in the territory of Rudnik Forest District (southern Poland). Cetin was obtained manually from standing or felled trees. Essential oils content was determined by means of Deryng apparatus. The material used for examination of vitamin C content came from three locations: Chrzanów Forest District, Dąbrowa Tarnowska Forest Distric and the Special Economic Zone located in the area of Mielec Forest District (southern Poland). Vitamin C content in pine needles was determined by Tillman method. The content of essential oils in pine twigs in stands under smaller influence of air pollution was nearly twice the amount in twigs coming from stands under greater influence of this factor. In less polluted stands the content of essential oils in twigs increased as they grew older, whereas, in stands being more exposed to industrial influence the opposite tendency was observed. We recorded that the amount of vitamin C in pine needles coming from stands under greater influence of industry was by ca. 30% smaller than in the material collected from stands less affected by industrial pollution. In both groups of the stands, the highest content of vitamin C was detected in needles from the youngest (age class I) as well as the oldest (age class V) stands. The content of essential oils in twigs as well as vitamin C in pine needles may be considered as the indicator of the environmental pollution degree.