ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Using Leaves of Oriental Plane
(Platanus orientalis L.) to Determine the Effects of Heavy Metal Pollution Caused by Vehicles
Halil Barış Özel1, Handan Ucun Özel2, Tuğrul Varol3
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1Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry,
2Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
3Department of Forest Engineering, Faculty of Forestry,
Bartın University, 74100 Bartın, Turkey
Submission date: 2015-07-06
Final revision date: 2015-08-10
Acceptance date: 2015-08-12
Publication date: 2015-11-27
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2015;24(6):2569-2575
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ABSTRACT
This study uses oriental plane (Platanus orientalis L.) leaves to determine the heavy metal pollution
caused by vehicular traffic on the D-755 Highway connecting Bartın and Karabük cities in Turkey. As a result
of the analyses, it was determined that the order of elements leading to metal emitted from vehicles is
Pb>Zn>Ni>Cu>Cr>Cd. On the other hand, according to the variance analysis and Duncan test performed, we
found a statistically significant difference between 20 sampling stations at the confidence level of P<0.01.
Accordingly, while stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, and 20 were in the first group in terms of heavy metal
pollution, stations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, and 13 were in the second group, and stations 14, 15, and 16 were in the
third group. Moreover, it was determined that injuries at dimensions of 1.5-4.7 μm occurred in epidermis cells
of the oriental plane trees’ leaves, and that the dimensions of these injuries reached levels of 10.2-14.7 μm during
further periods. Actual levels of trace elements are as follows: Pb 0.10-0.78 mg·kg-1, Zn 18.2-52.4 mg·kg-1,
Ni 0.13-0.35 mg·kg-1, Cu 3.45-12.73 mg·kg-1, Cr 0.21-0.37 mg·kg-1, and Cd 0.05-0.12 mg·kg-1.