The change of some heavy metal concentrations in scotch pine (Pinus Sylvestris) depending on traffic density, organelle and washing

Abstract

Increasing population and industrialization have caused air pollution and air pollution in some cities has increased to such an extent that it has started to threaten human health and has become one of the most important agenda topics of our day. Many pollutants arise in cities due to exhaust gases, car wheels, vehicles and vehicle wear. Heavy metals are one of the most infamous pollutants, because they can remain in nature for a long time without degradation and the amount of heavy metal concentration in the environment is constantly increasing. Heavy metals also tend to bioaccumulate. Therefore, the determination of heavy metal concentration is of great importance in terms of identifying risk regions and risk levels. Determination of heavy metal concentrations in plants is important both for determining plants’ ability to remove heavy metals from the air and thus to improve air quality, as well as for monitoring air quality. Bio-indicators are the most important indicators of the change in the concentration of heavy metal in the atmosphere. This study aims to determine the usability potential of Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris) in monitoring the traffic related heavy metal concentration. For this purpose, samples of Scotch Pine individuals were collected from one of the busiest highways of Turkey, at the route of Ankara-Istanbul, from refuges, at roadsides and at distances of 3 m, 10 m, 30 m, 50 m and 100 m from the roadside, some of the branch and needle samples were washed and the change of Cu, Pb and Cd concentrations on these samples was determined. As a result of the study, the change of the concentrations of these heavy metals depending on distance to the road, organelle and washing conditions all seem to indicate that the Scotch Pine is a good bio-monitor which could be used especially to monitor the change of Cd concentration.