ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Using the Turkish Red Pine Tree to Monitor
Heavy Metal Pollution
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1
Bahcesehir University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering,
Besiktas, Istanbul, Turkey
2
Marmara University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, Goztepe, Istanbul, Turkey
3
Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
4
Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Urla, Izmir, Turkey
5
Health Sciences University, Faculty of Hamidiye Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Health and Safety,
Uskudar, Istanbul, Turkey
Submission date: 2019-09-10
Final revision date: 2019-11-20
Acceptance date: 2019-11-21
Online publication date: 2020-04-15
Publication date: 2020-06-08
Corresponding author
Ibrahim Ilker Ozyigit
Marmara University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, 34722, Goztepe / Istanbul – Turkey, Marmara University, Faculty of Science and Arts, D, 34722, ISTANBUL, Turkey
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2020;29(5):3881-3889
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ABSTRACT
Turkish red pine is an evergreen tree species widely distributed in the Aegean and Mediterranean
regions in Turkey. In the present work, the heavy metal pollution level in Istanbul was investigated using
Turkish red pine as a biomonitor. For determining heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni and
Pb) in leaf (unwashed and washed) and bark samples of Turkish red pine and its co-located soil samples
we used ICP-OES. Additionally, particulate matter profiles of the research areas were investigated.
The samples were collected from 5 different localities: 4 from the Bosporus region (Yildiz Grove,
Fethi Pasha Grove, Baltalimani Grove and Mihrabad Grove) and one from Prince Island, also known
as Buyukada (as control). According to our measurements, the highest heavy metal accumulations
(in mg kg-1 DW) in plant part samples were measured between 1.526±0.012 and 1.639±0.015 for Cd,
0.543±0.007 and 0.600±0.009 for Co, 5.110±0.064 and 5.648±0.072 for Cr, 9.347±0.105 and 10.331±0.111
for Mn, 7.483±0.091 and 8.271±0.096 for Ni, and 13.848±0.159 and 14.950±0.167 for Pb, while the
highest heavy metal accumulations (in mg kg-1 DW) in soil samples were measured between 1.813±0.021
and 1.974±0.029 for Cd, 6.326±0.082 and 6.992±0.091 for Co, 22.017±0.284 and 23.685±0.301 for Cr,
268.333±3.153 and 297.361±3.529 for Mn, 15.194±0.176 and 16.792±0.193 for Ni, and 68.778±0.715 and
74.514±0.883 for Pb. The highest outdoor particulate matter levels (in μg/m3) in research areas were also
determined as 27.103 for fine (PM2.5) and 67.792 for coarse (PM10) aerosols. The findings revealed that
Turkish red pine could accumulate noteworthy amounts of heavy metals.