Plant Soil Environ., 2026, 72(2):77-86 | DOI: 10.17221/443/2025-PSE

Assessment of mineral nutrients and risk elements in plants growing on soils polluted by magnesite emissionsOriginal Paper

Margita Kuklová ORCID...1, Ján Kukla1, Jana Luptáková2, František Hnilička3, Tomáš Rýgl3
1 Institute of Forest Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovak Republic
2 National Forest Centre – Central Forestry Laboratory, Zvolen, Slovak Republic
3 Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Changes in the content of mineral nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, Na) and risk elements (Mn, Cd) in the assimilatory organs of selected plant species were studied along the altitudinal gradient of A‒D zones polluted by alkaline emissions from the magnesite factory Lubeník (Slovak Republic). Multivariate statistical analysis and comparison with background values in other studies demonstrate persistent intoxication of some plants by Mg (all study plants), K (Lactuca saligna, Dryopteris filix-mas), Mn (Quercus polycarpa, Carpinus betulus, Betula pendula, Lactuca saligna) and Cd (Quercus polycarpa, Carpinus betulus, Betula pendula, Lactuca saligna). Overall, Lactuca saligna accumulated the highest amounts of Mg, Cd, Na and K near the magnesite plant, suggesting its potential as an effective bioindicator of elemental pollution. Unbalanced Ca/Mg ratios, lower than 1, were recorded predominantly in all plant species sampled near the magnesite plant; unbalanced K/(Mg + Ca) ratios were predominantly in woody species.

Keywords: ecotoxicology; trees; herbs; macronutrients; toxic elements

Received: October 6, 2025; Revised: January 20, 2026; Accepted: January 21, 2026; Prepublished online: February 5, 2026; Published: February 25, 2026  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Kuklová M, Kukla J, Luptáková J, Hnilička F, Rýgl T. Assessment of mineral nutrients and risk elements in plants growing on soils polluted by magnesite emissions. Plant Soil Environ. 2026;72(2):77-86. doi: 10.17221/443/2025-PSE.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. AIR (2024): The largest sources of air pollution in the Slovak Republic. Available at: https://www.air.sk/emissions.php (accessed 24. 9. 2024)
    2. Alaqouri H.A.A., Ozer Genc C., Aricak B., Kuzmina N., Menshikov S., Cetin M. (2020a): The possibility of using Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles as a biomonitor in the determination of heavy metal accumulation. Applied Ecology and Environmental Re-search, 18: 3713-3727. Go to original source...
    3. Alaqouri H.A.A., Ozer Genc C., Aricak B., Kuzmina N., Menshikov S., Cetin M. (2020b): The possibility of using Scots pine needles as biomonitor in determination of heavy metal accumulation. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27: 20273-20280. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    4. Angelova V.R., Ivanova R.I., Todorov J.M., Ivanov K.I. (2017): Potential of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology, 18: 468-478.
    5. Atanasov A.Z., Hristakov I.S., Kuncheva G.S., Koszel M., Dochev V.Y. (2023): Assessment of heavy metals in soil, oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and honey. Plant, Soil and Environment, 69: 400-407. Go to original source...
    6. Bobro M., Hančuľák J. (2001): Influence of Slovak magnesite processing on the environment. Mineralia Slovaca, 33: 535-538.
    7. Döring H. (1974): Elf Jahrzehnte Magnesium-Düngung. Mitteilungen der DLG, 89: 1368-1369.
    8. Durlach J. (1989): Recommended dietary amounts of magnesium: Mg RDA. Magnesium Research, 2: 195-203.
    9. El-Ramady H.R., Alshaal T.A., Amer M., Domokos-Szabolcsy É., Elhawat N., Prokisch J., Fári M. (2014): Soil quality and plant nutrition. In: Ozier-Lafontaine H.M., Lesueur-Jannoyer M. (eds.): Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 14. Sustainable Agriculture Reviews. Cham, Springer. Go to original source...
    10. Fazekaš J., Fazekašová D., Hronec O., Benková E., Boltižiar M. (2018): Contamination of soil and vegetation at a magnesite mining area of Jelšava-Lubeník (Slovakia). Ekológia (Bratislava), 37: 101-111. Go to original source...
    11. Grzebisz W. (2011): Magnesium-food and human health. Journal of Elementology, 16: 299-323. Go to original source...
    12. Grzegorczyk S., Alberski J., Olszewska M. (2013): Accumulation of potassium, calcium and magnesium by selected species of grassland legumes and herbs. Journal of Elementology, 18: 69-78.
    13. Hammer Ø., Harper D.A.T., Ryan P.D. (2001): PAST: Paleontological Statistics Software Package for Education and Data Analysis. Palaeontologia Electroni-ca, 4: 9.
    14. Hančuľák J. (2000): A development of the dust deposition in the area surrounding the SMZ, a.s., Jelšava plant. Acta Montanistica Slovaca, 5: 310-312.
    15. Kabata-Pendias A. (2011): Trace Elements in Soils and Plants. 4th Edition. Boca Raton, CRC Press. ISBN 13: 978 1 4200 9368 1
    16. Kateivas K.S.B., Cairo P.A.R., Neves P.H.S., Ribeiro R.S.S., Machado L.M., Leitão C.A.E. (2022): The impact of NOx and SO2 emissions from a magnesite processing industry on morphophysiological and anatomical features of plant bioindicators. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 44: 77. Go to original source...
    17. Kirkby E. (2012): Introduction, definition and classification of nutrients. In: Marschner P. (ed.): Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. 3rd Edition. Amsterdam, Academic Press, 3-5. ISBN 13: 978 0 12 384905 2.
    18. Kononova M.M. (1966): Soil Organic Matter: Its Nature, Its Role in Soil Formation and in Soil Fertility. Oxford, Pergamon Press Ltd.
    19. Kuklová M., Kukla J., Luptáková J., Mihál I. (2025): The effect of Mg immissions on the accumulation of nutrients and risk elements in soils and macromy-cetes. Environmental Earth Sciences, 84: 142. Go to original source...
    20. Kumari A., Sharma B., Singh B.N., Hidangmayum A., Jatav H.S., Chandra K., Singhal R.K., Sathyanarayana E., Patra A., Mohapatra K.K. (2022): Physiological mechanisms and adaptation strategies of plants under nutrient deficiency and toxicity conditions. In: Aftab T., Roychoudhury A. (eds.): Plant Perspectives to Global Climate Changes. Cambridge, Academic Press, 173-194. ISBN 13: 978 0 323 85665 2 Go to original source...
    21. Markert B. (1995): Instrumental Multielement Analysis in Plant Materials - A Modern Method in Environmental Chemistry and Tropical Systems Research, (Série 8). Rio de Janeiro, CETEM/CNPq.
    22. Michaeli E., Boltižiar M. (2010): Selected localities of environmental loads in Slovakia loaded areas. Geografické Štúdie, 1: 18-48. Go to original source...
    23. Ostrowska A., Porębska G. (2017): The content of calcium and magnesium and the Ca:Mg ratio in cultivated plants in the context of human and animal demand for nutrients. Journal of Elementology, 22: 995-1004. Go to original source...
    24. Pedroso A.N.V., Alves E.S. (2015): Temporal dynamics of the cellular events in tobacco leaves exposed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, indicate oxidative stress by ozone. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 22: 6535-6545. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    25. Preeti P., Tripathi A.K. (2011): Effect of heavy metals on morphological and biochemical characteristics of Albizia procera (Roxb.) Benth. seedlings. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 1: 1009-1018.
    26. Rengel Z. (2000): Manganese uptake and transport in plants. In: Sigel A., Sigel H. (eds.): Metal Ions in Biological Systems. New York, Marcel Dekker, 57-87. ISBN 10: 0 8247 99549 0
    27. Schulte E.E., Kelling K.A. (2025): Soil calcium to magnesium ratios - Should you be concerned? Available at: https://learningstore.extension.wisc.edu/products/soil-calcium-to-magnesium-ratiosshould-you-be-concerned-p799 (accesed 28. 5. 2025)
    28. Štofejová L., Fazekaš J., Fazekašová D. (2022): Transfer of potentially toxic elements in the soil-plant system in magnesite mining and processing areas. Processes, 10: 720. Go to original source...
    29. Tomczyk M., Zaguła G., Puchalski C., Dżugan M. (2020): Transfer of some toxic metals from soil to honey depending on bee habitat conditions. Acta Universitatis Cibiniensis. Series E: Food Technology, 24: 49-59. Go to original source...
    30. Van der Heijden G., Legout A., Midwood A.J., Craig C.-A., Pollier B., Ranger J., Dambrine E. (2013): Mg and Ca root uptake and vertical transfer in soils assessed by an in situ ecosystem-scale multi-isotopic (26Mg & 44Ca) tracing experiment in a beech stand (Breuil-chenue, France). Plant and Soil, 369: 33-45. Go to original source...
    31. Zlatník A. (1978): Forest Phytocenology. Prague, State Agricultural Publishing House (SZN).

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content