Trace element biomonitoring by leaves of Populus nigra L. from Western Anatolia, Turkey.
The West Anatolian Region is one of the most important areas for industrialization, population density and traffic in Turkey. Therefore, the leaves of Populus nigra L. (Salicaceae), which are used as biomonitor to investigate the levels of the trace elements Cd, Pb, Fe, Zn and Cu, were sampled at 30 locations having different pollution levels in the region. The concentrations of elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The samples were collected at both reference and contaminated locations where iron was found as the priority element. The strong association between a gradient of contamination and concentration in all samples tested indicates that they are reflecting well the environmental changes, and that they appear as appropriate biological indicators of heavy metal contamination.
Baslar
Suleyman
S
Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Education, Department of Biology, Buca-Izmir, Turkey, suleyman.baslar@deu.edu.tr
Dogan
Yunus
Y
Yenil
Nilgun
N
Karagoz
Selhan
S
Bag
Huseyin
H
D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D032107:Populus; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014421:Turkey
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy