Turkish Red Pine as a Biomonitor: A Comparative Study of the Accumulation of Trace Elements in the Needles and Bark

Abstract

The increase in industrial activities and human population and the high urbanization in the study area have made the area one of the most rapidly developing areas in Turkey. However, because of this, environmental problems have rapidly increased in Western Anatolia. The Pinus brutia (Pinaceae) (Turkish red pine) is a widespread evergreen tree in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions of Turkey. The needles and bark of P. brutia were tested as a possible biomonitor of trace element pollution in Western Anatolia. Samples were collected from 30 different stations in the industrial, suburban, roadside, rural and control areas. Throughout the region, an area covering approximately 1/8th of Turkey was investigated. The concentration of lead, cadmium, chromium, iron, nickel and copper (μg g -1 , dry weight) in the needles and bark of the red pine was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The highest concentration of all these elements was measured in the industrial areas. The maximum values of Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Cu for the needles of P. brutia in these areas was 12.1, 0.54, 12.12, 595.5, 10.4, and 10.1 μg g-1 in dry weight, respectively and for the bark of P. brutia in these areas was 20.03, 0.71, 3.17, 1274.04, 18.87, and 15.30 μg g-1 in dry weight, respectively. This study demonstrates that the bark of P. brutia can be used as a biomonitor for detecting the