Sulphur and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Scots Pine Bark in Northern Finland and the Kola Peninsula

Sulphur and heavy metal deposition in northern Finland (= in Lapland) and the Kola Peninsulawere surveyed using Scots pine bark samples. Sulphur concentrations in bark close to the Kolasmelters were on an average twice as high as on the Finnish side of the border. The Cu and Niconcentrations near the smelters were almost 100-fold the mean values in northern Finland. Therewas a marked decrease in the sulphur and heavy metal concentrations with increasing distancefrom the emission sources. The effects of emissions from the Kola Peninsula were evident inFinland only close to the border, especially in the eastern parts of Inari (NE corner of Lapland)where the Cu and Ni concentrations were 2- to 6-fold those in western Lapland. The sulphur andheavy metal concentrations in most of northern Finland were low. However were theconcentrations of Cr in bark in the SW corner of Lapland considerably high, due to the emissionsfrom the Tornio refined steel plants.