The Prydniprovia steppe area is particularly affected by many big industrial enterprises. The aim of the present research was to study the fauna of litter in stands near the "Azot" industrial plant, near cement works and as a control in a relatively clean forest belt 100 km from any source of pollution. Species composition of invertebrates and specific accumulation of micro-elements in some of them were studied. The main pollutants in the region under study were: iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). Variation was found in invertebrate species composition in litter of different stands. In relatively clean stands Carabidae, 70% and Formicidae, 20% predominated following by Scarabaeidae, 5%, Diplopoda and Mollusca, 1% each. In stands influenced by the cement works the sequence was: Carabidae, 50%, Staphilinidae, 34%, Lithobiidae, 10%, Mollusca, 6%. Near the "Azot" plant the sequence was: Lithobiidae, 55%, Staphilinidae, 25%, Carabidae, 10%, Formicidae, 6%, Mollusca, 4%. The absence of Formicidae near the cement works, and the sudden limitation of Carabidae near the "Azot" plant were notable. Accumulation of heavy metals by many species of Carabidae was considered. Accumulation occurred in the following order (largest concentration first): Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Cd, Pb (in relatively clean stands), and Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Mn, Cd (in stands of polluted areas). One of the model species, Carabus granulatus, proved to accumulate much more Fe (817-950 mg/kg), Zn (61-94 mg/kg), Pb (6.8-8.6 mg/kg) and much less Mn (4.3-5.2 mg/kg) and Cd (1.0-1.2 mg/kg) in polluted areas; in relatively clean stands it accumulated Fe (780.0-800.0 mg/kg), Zn (45.0-52.0 mg/kg), Cd (1.0-1.2 mg/kg) and Pb (0.68-0.81 mg/kg). In spite of the fact that concentration of the toxic elements Cd and Pb were not hight in Carabidae in compared stands, their abundance near the "Azot" plant was low, and so was their species diversity. This suggests that their population is depressed and industrial pollution could be the reason.