Do Picea pungens engelm. organs be a suitable biomonitor of urban atmosphere pollution?

Abstract

Background: Heavy metal contamination in the air has been gaining importance from scientists due to increasing industrial activities, population growth, and density in urban areas causing many crucial environmental pollution problems. Heavy metals do not quickly disappear and do not decay in nature; they accumulate in plant organs and indirectly affect human and environmental health. On the other hand, some elements are essential for plant growth, but some have poisonous or carcinogenic consequences, even at small concentrations. Thus, determining and observing heavy metal concentrations in the atmosphere is crucial., Plants are the utmost important indicator of heavy metal concentration changes in the air and are called biomonitors. The current study aims to determine the variation in some elements (K, P, Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Cr) concentration in Picea pungens Engelm. (valued for its bluish or silvery-gray foliage) grown in the Ankara city center (capital of Turkiye and second crowded city), based on the plant needles and the age of the branch. Thus, this study tried to determine the potential of using needle leaves and branches of P. pungens as a biomonitor to determine some heavy metal concentrations. Results: The heavy metal concentrations significantly differed by organ and organ age. The element levels were higher in the branches in some years and the needles in some years. Conclusions: This result indicates that Picea pungens needles and branches are suitable for observing studied heavy metal concentrations. Using branches and needles does not also harm the plant species.