Browsing by Author "Koç İ."

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Assessing the possibility of airborne bismuth accumulation and spatial distribution in an urban area by tree bark: A case study in Düzce, Türkiye
(2023-01-01) Isinkaralar K.; Isinkaralar O.; Koç İ.; Özel H.B.; Şevik H.
Heavy metal accumulation has been a hot topic of many studies in recent years, as they are toxic elements that can be highly harmful to human health and the environment. The metal concentrations of some trees used for monitoring air quality give information about the pollutant sources in the ambient atmosphere. In this study, P. pinaster, C. arizonica, P. orientalis, C. atlantica, and P. menziesii were determined to investigate their use as biomonitors for air quality. Metallic bismuth and bismuth compounds, which have been widely used in several industries, have low toxicity to humans, although bismuth toxicity can show over-dosage depending on its application. The variability of bismuth levels in the organs of the species was investigated to explain atmospheric deposition over the years. The bismuth accumulation of C. arizonica and P. pinaster increases depending on time interval. The ascending-descending trend in other species could not be obtained clearly via dry and wet deposition of atmospheric metals. Our analysis reveals that the total deposit (barks and wood) of P. pinaster, C. arizonica, P. orientalis, C. atlantica, and P. menziesii were 134, 115, 94, 131, and 148 mg/kg, respectively, and they have been quite clearly reflected atmospheric bismuth deposition. The bismuth concentration has significantly increased since the 1983 sampling; P. menziesii can be valuable bioindicators for highlighting polluted areas. Compared with the traditional air samplers, the proposed P. menziesii bioindicator is proven to be more effective, low cost, and sustainable and thus has broad application prospects in bismuth concentration.
Determination of Some Exotic Landscape Species As Biomonitors That Can Be Used for Monitoring and Reducing Pd Pollution in the Air
(2024-10-01) Sevik H.; Koç İ.; Cobanoglu H.
Determining the 180-year Change of Cd, Fe, and Al Concentrations in the Air by Using Annual Rings of Corylus colurna L
(2022-07-01) Key K.; Kulaç Ş.; Koç İ.; Sevik H.
Heavy metals (HMs), among the components of air pollution that is one of the utmost critical concerns our world has faced, are one of the biggest threats to living organisms. The plants, as a biomonitor, offer the most effective solution in tracking the change of HM concentration on earth and taking them under control. This paper aimed to evaluate the differences in cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), and aluminum (Al) concentrations by using the annual rings of a 180-year-old Corylus colurna L. tree, which was cut in late 2020. Moreover, HMs in outer and inner bark were also compared to the values found in wood, and the direction-based change in the concentrations of these HMs was examined. As a result, the concentrations statistically differed between wood and barks for all three elements only in the north side (p < 0.001), and bark samples had higher Cd, Fe, and Al element concentrations than wood. When examining the annual rings, the highest values were commonly observed in the western and northern sides, and there were notable differences between the directions in the same term. The difference is thought to be the effects of highway and steel and iron facility located at the nearest point. In conclusion, the results showed that the use of the species and monitoring method employed in this study were very appropriate for tracking the variation in Cd, Fe, and Al concentrations, and these HMs have almost no transfer between organs and cells of the Corylus colurna.
Do Annual Rings Really Reveal Cd, Ni, and Zn Pollution in the Air Related to Traffic Density? An Example of the Cedar Tree
(2023-02-01) Cobanoglu H.; Sevik H.; Koç İ.
Heavy metals (HMs) in air pollution seriously threaten the environment. Although plant species are known as good biomonitors, it has not been determined which HM is absorbed by which plant and organs and how much traffic is caused. The objectives are to determine (a) if the HMs examined here are transferred between the annual tree rings and (b) originate from the traffic, and (c) the variation of these HMs’ concentrations by wood, outer bark, and inner bark within these organs and density of the traffic. In this study, annual growth rings of Cedrus sp. tree located in Kastamonu city center, Türkiye, were used to determine the variation of cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) by organ and traffic density through the last 39 years. As a result, Cd, Ni, and Zn concentrations in outer bark on the roadside were approx. 22.3, 9.6, and 2.5 folds of the concentration in the outer bark on the opposite side. Compared to the values obtained from wood, the concentrations obtained from outer bark were approx. 16.5 folds for Cd, 3.2 folds for Ni, and 5.1 folds for Zn. The results reveal that Cd, Ni, and Zn elements can diffuse into the air due to traffic, their accumulation potential in the cedar tree’s woods is relatively high, and their transfer in the wood is limited. In conclusion, the usage potential of this species is high to monitor and reduce the change of Cd, Ni, and Zn in the air from the past to the present.