MONITORING OF AIR POLLUTION IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY USING TREE LEAF SAMPLES - PRELIMINARY RESULTS

The main goal of this study was to examine different leaf samples (Acer Platanoides 'Globusum', Tilia Tomentosa, Fraxinus Excelsior 'Westhof's Glorie') collected alongside major roads and at Buda Arboretum of Corvinus University of Budapest. Three experiments were carried out at different times. For every one of them 30 leaf samples were collected from each taxon and from each area, on which 5 repeated experiments were performed (6 leaves per group). Groups of leaves were washed off with distilled water. After soaking and ultrasonic shaking filtrates were prepared. Conductivity (total salinity), pH, nitrate ion, ammonium ion, chloride ion, and sulphate ion concentrations were determined from these filtrates. According to our preliminary results higher air pollution level was associated to higher values of examined parameters. Detailed results are listed in our paper.