DISTRIBUTION, DANGER AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY OF SOSNOVSKY’S HOGWEED IN INDUSTRIALIZED TOWNS OF THE MURMANSK REGION

Sosnowsky’s hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi) presents a considerable ecological threat due to its elevated concentration of toxic compounds, particularly furanocoumarins. These compounds heighten human sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, resulting in burns and systemic allergic reactions. Additionally, they disrupt mitotic activity in cells and exhibit mutagenic properties. Furthermore, furanocoumarins may exacerbate the toxic effects of harmful chemical substances in industrially developed areas, owing to their capacity stimulate free radical oxidation (SRO) processes. The authors studied the places with the greatest accumulation of Sosnowsky’s hogweed thickets in Murmansk, Monchegorsk, Kirovsk and Kandalaksha to assess its potential threat in the central settlements of the Murmansk region, which exhibit varying levels of pollution from industrial waste while maintaining similar levels of pollution from exhaust emissions of major roadways. The areas of thickets and their distance to the most polluted intersections of highways and main industrial enterprises were determined. According to N. P. Krenke theory of cyclic aging of plants, variability of leaf shape and density of Sosnowsky’s hogweed thickets clearly indicate an acceleration of aging processes. This finding suggests that the synergistic effects of Heracleum sosnowskyi toxicity are more closely related to the interaction of its volatile metabolites with industrial emissions than with the exhaust gases from motor vehicles. A morphological analysis of Sosnowsky’s hogweed in proximity to industrial enterprises will facilitate a more comprehensive assessment of the ecological conditions in industrial cities within the Polar Region.