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The study was carried out in the most industrialised region of southern Poland. Four areas were selected for the study: the vicinity of the Miasteczko Śląskie Zn–Pb-works (ZW; with three transects selected: A, B, and C), and the metalliferous waste heaps (H1, H2, H3). Samples were taken from the surface soil layer, while only mature silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) trees (3–4 m high) growing spontaneously in the study area were selected for the collection of leaves. The analysis of metals including trace metals (TMs; Ag, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Tl, and Zn) in the soil and leaves, as well as the contents of specialized leaf compounds belonging to polyphenols were performed. In general, the B. pendula trees in transects A and B located within 500 m of the furnaces exhibited 3–9 times higher content of TMs in their leaves compared to the plants located further away from the Zn smelter. In contrast, the quantity of TM in trees from transect C was independent of distance. The accumulation of TMs in the leaves was significantly lower in the metalliferous waste heap sites compared to the ZW area. It was hypothesised that the accumulation of TMs in B. pendula leaves would depend on the location and distance from the polluting source. It was demonstrated that TMs content in soil affects the accumulation of phenolic acids and flavonoids. [Display omitted] • The pollution with selected TMs in a metal ore mining area was investigated. • Proximity to Zn-smelter and waste heaps increased of TMs in the soil and leaves. • TMs pollution caused increase of polyphenols content in the Betula pendula leaves. • Secondary metabolites are reliable indicators of the leaves condition. • Birch leaves has a high metal accumulation capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 18 from 21 lichens contained allantoin with a range 0.005–13.4 mg/g DW. • Field samples from urban areas typically contained more metals and allantoin. • Field samples revealed positive correlations between Zn, Cu, Ni and allantoin. • Laboratory experiments showed that Cd, Pb or Ni stimulated accumulation of allantoin. • Salinity had no impact and simulated acid rain evoked various changes of allantoin. Allantoin has been detected in several plant families but only few papers reported its presence in lichens. The 18 from 21 lichen species we tested contained detectable amount of allantoin with a range of 0.005–13.4 mg/g DW. Comparison of samples collected from the localities with various intensity of "anthropopressure" (forest versus city) revealed that higher content of heavy metals was significantly correlated with elevated allantoin content mainly for Zn, Cu, and Ni (and in 3 from 5 species also for Cd and Fe). Subsequent laboratory experiments with four species showed that the accumulation of allantoin is rather stimulated by Cd, Pb or Ni in individual species but Hg had strongly negative impact. On the contrary, salinity had no impact in any species while simulated acid rain (pH 3) evoked various responses in four tested species. Data indicate that accumulation of allantoin depends on the eventual pollution of the given locality and metals have considerable impact on its content while the effect of individual stresses is rather specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]