The mainly purpose of our study was to determine Ba in pharyngeal tonsils of children living in the influence of dust emission from power stations in the following regions in southern Poland: Jura Krakowsko- Częstochowska, Upper Silesia, and Kraków. The concept of investigation was based on the fact of high levels of Ba in suspended dust emitted by power stations (about 800 μg/g). Moreover, these children are exposed to secondary emissions of Ba from soil dust (500-1,000 μg/g) during outdoor recreation. Ba concentrations in pharyngeal tonsils may be involved in indicating the pollution of some plants.
Ba concentrations in pharyngeal tonsils were determined using the ACP-AES method. The characteristic feature of pharyngeal tonsils is their ability and high specificity of Ba accumulation from inhaled air.
The average level of Ba concentration in tonsils was similar in all groups of children (0.03-0.09 μg/g) with the exception of boys from Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska – 0.22 μg/g. The differences of Ba content in pharyngeal tonsils measured as the maximum concentration range depends on sex and place of residence. Moreover, the interaction between Ba with other pollution elements was described.