Crown damages of 75-85-year-old Scots pine and Norway spruce within 3 km from the Kunda cement plant, North Estonia, under maximum reported pollution load of 1000-2700 g m(-2) yr(-1) in 1985-1999 were assessed in connection with the radial increment of the trees. Strong damages of the trees and their mass dying indicated a long-term pollution load of more than 2 kg m(-2) yr(-1), weak and moderate chronical damage of the trees aggravating over years indicated a pollution load of 1-2 kg m(-2) yr(-1). The relations between defoliation and radial increment in the area affected by the cement plant are not linear. A weak defoliation level (needle loss up to 25 %) influenced the radial increment slightly. Correlations were more evident on pine when more than a half of the trees were characterized by moderate and strong defoliation and the percentage of needle loss was thus at least 30-35 %. With a further increase in the defoliation level in the area of a heavier pollution load, the correlation with increment increased both in pines and spruces.