Accumulation of chemical elements by leaves of trees and shrubs in urban (Central District of St. Petersburg) and background habitats were studied. To determine proportion of pollutants accumulating on the surface of leaves, chemical content of washed and unwashed leaves were analyzed. The results of the study showed that big part (19-62%) of pollutants is deposited on the surface of leaves of urban lindens, and only 10% on the surface of leaves from background places. Average difference between quantity of particulate matter for them is 4 times. Tilia cordata and Ulmus laevis has the highest value of ash content between washing and washing leaves. The level of contamination (Kk) showed high values for Fe (8.83), Co (7.47), Cr (5.62), Pb (4.31), Zn (3.04) for unwashed leaves of urban lindens; for the washed leaves this index slightly increased only for Fe (3.12) and Pb (2.13). Accumulative ability depends on the structure of leaf blade of each species, and the ecological situation of the habitat. Ulmus laevis, Tilia cordata, Populus sp., and Rosa rugosa accumulate more pollutants, and can be recommended for protective green plantings. Tilia cordata, as the most common species in the city green spaces, can be used as an indicator of the level of atmospheric pollution.

Air pollution is one of the main environmental problem. And although average air pollution indicators in the Baltic region countries exceed limit values rarely, nevertheless, high pollution is present in some areas, damages ecosystems and public health. It is possible to use green spaces as one of the tools for cleaning atmospheric air. This article describes the scientific approaches to assess the cleansing function of urban plants. Particulate matters are considered as the main pollutant. Conclusions are drawn about the need to use an integrated approach that takes into account a number of characteristics of both plants and the ecosystems themselves, which allows solving the problems of environmental improvement in the cities of the Baltic region.

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