Deterioration of the environment by industrial pollution results in a reduction in the efficiency of forest ecosystems. It is therefore important to propose effective measures for estimation and prognosis of those changes. The aim of the present research was to study radial growth increment as an indicator of the reaction of forest ecosystems affected by atmosphere pollution and other stress-factors. The study sites were pure pine stands in mixed forest on sandy soils of areas under airborne industrial pollution in the region of Lysychank-Rubizhne-Severodonetsk. Trees were examined on experimental plots located at a distance of 3, 5.3, 7.3 and 30 km from the source of pollution. A wide range of methods were used. Information about tree-ring width was processed using programs of the International Tree Rings Database (ITRDB). The highest increments were observed during the first 30 years. A drop in growth increment in the early 1960s coincided with the start of certain industrial enterprises in the region. Reduction of air pollution in the late 1980s and early 1990s allowed an increase of absolute increment. Correlation between early and late wood has an age trend. The main correlation, however, is with industrial pressure and climatic conditions unfavourable for plants. It was possible to use a percentage of the late wood to estimate how pine stands respond to the effects of limiting factors. A sharp reduction of increment was to a great extent connected with weather conditions unfavourable for growth of trees. Correlation analyses of set ranks using the hydrothermic coefficients of Lang & Tornsvate, the coefficient of aridness (dryness) of de Martonne and Emberger's coefficient have shown that the nearer a pine stand is to a source of pollution, the greater the dependence of increment on warmth and humidity. The most close and significant connexions were found between increments of stands and Emberger's coefficient of continental climate.