EN
A pot experiment was carried out in two one-year series to examine the effect of various concentrations of Tytanit (0.001-3.6%) applied once or twice alongside mineral NPK fertilization, on the content of Zn, Li, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cd in celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce Mill. Pers.). The total content of select elements was determined in the solution obtained after dry combustion of celery biomass by atomic emission spectrophotometry with the inductively coupled plasma technique (ICP-AES). Foliar application of Tytanit at different concentrations alongside NPK fertilization significantly diversified the content of Zn, Li, Ni, and Pb in the petioles and leaf blades of celery. Together with the incremental concentrations of Tytanit, a reduction in the bio-accumulation of Zn, Li, Pb, and Cr was detected in the aerial parts of the plant, although the accumulation of Ni in the celery biomass increased. A higher content of Ni and Pb was found in the petioles than in the leaf blades. The contents of Zn, Li, and Cr were higher in the leaf blades than in the petioles, while the content of Cd was comparable in the petioles and leaf blades. The double application of Tytanit with an increasing concentration of Ti caused the decreasing Zn uptake by biomass yield of petioles as well as Li with the yield of petioles and leaf blades. The results indicate that celery is susceptible to accumulation of heavy metals. The uptake of Zn, Li, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cd with the celery yield was unambiguously correlated with the Tytanit application. The quality of yield, and not the volume, should be a determinant used for evaluation in its production.