Nutrient imbalances caused by industrial pollution were not affected by extreme climate events

• K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Na deficiency in biotic matrices in a polluted industrial area. • K competes with Mg and Mn for absorption in plants, leading to imbalances. • The ratio Mg/(Zn+Fe) shows a low resilience. • No relationships were found between climate variables and the ratio Mg/(Zn+Fe). • Temperature was linked to a low bioaccumulation factor. Industrialization and rising temperatures disrupt mineral balance, causing deficiencies that impact vegetation resilience, particularly in polluted industrial areas. This study explores links between presence, absorption, physiological stress, and biochemical imbalances in nutrients (K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Na) during 2019‒2021 under extreme climate events in Copșa Mică, Romania. Plant, fungal, litter, soil, water, and sediment samples from 40 environmental media were used as proxies. Results show increasing mineral levels in abiotic matrices, whereas soil, litter, and sediments have minimal or depleted enrichment factors. K had high contents in trees and shrubs decreasing from branches > leaves > fruits/seeds (mean ± SD, 10805 ± 5575, 6769 ± 2256, and 6374 ± 630 mg kg -1 ) and an extreme value of 127893 mg kg -1 in the fungus Lactarius torminosus . Biochemical imbalance and mineral deficiencies were observed, supporting the hypothesis that K competes with Mg and Mn for absorption. The relationships between minerals have weakened since 2019, indicating a decoupling of biogeochemical cycles. The maximum mineral photosynthetic index was similar in 2019 (65) and 2021 (68), declined in 2020 (43), and was higher in shrubs than in trees, with herbaceous plants lowest but increasing in 2020 (16) relative to 2019 and 2021 (9.1, 9.4). Although no direct link to climate was found, a lower plant resistance was observed during the warm 2020, as indicated by the mineral photosynthetic index [Mg/(Zn+Fe)], compared with 2019 and 2021. Diurnal temperature range and mean temperature were predictors with low power and do not primarily derive plant recovery responses; however, they can negatively influence mineral uptake and storage in plant organs (Ca, r = -0.86). The study emphasizes the need to evaluate biochemical cycles in urban and industrial areas under extreme climate conditions and adopt strategies for sustainable management.