Kamchatka plants help refine natural metal baselines

Kamchatka State Technical University researchers studied mugwort and reed grass in the Avacha agglomeration. Samples collected in 2017–2023 were analysed for zinc, copper, lead and cadmium. Volcanic inputs complicate assessment, so the team calculated local reference levels for each species.

Mugwort proved more informative for detecting local deviations. Separating natural and human sources confidently still requires paired soil and plant studies. The findings do not establish that pollution is absent everywhere.